Historic Storm Dumps 2 Feet Of Rain On South Florida, Airport Reopens

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — South Floridians cleaned up and surveyed damage Friday two days after a historic storm dumped more than two feet of rain on Fort Lauderdale, causing widespread flooding and prompting the closure of a major airport.

Nearly 26 inches of rain fell over several hours in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, according to Accuweather forecasters. Meanwhile, according to unofficial AccuWeather totals, as many as 30 inches were reported in other nearby areas.

The rain stopped briefly on Thursday morning before returning in the afternoon, inundating already-flooded areas.

Totals are preliminary, but if confirmed, the astounding amount of rain will be the most significant 24-hour precipitation total recorded in the state. Currently, the record stands at 23.28 inches, which was reported in Key West on Nov. 11, 1980, according to AccuWeather.

Shawn Bhatti, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, called the amount of rain "unprecedented."

"For context, within a six-hour period the amount that fell is about a 1 in 1,000 chance of happening within a given year," Bhatti said. "So it's a very historical type of event."

On Thursday morning, the city of Fort Lauderdale issued a state of emergency due to flooding. Later that day, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Broward County.

"@FLSERT has resources on the ground and is providing aid," DeSantis tweeted.

In Broward County, where rains started Monday before the heaviest rains arrived Wednesday afternoon, crews worked Thursday to clear drains and fire up pumps to clear standing water.

"Large parts of the city have been underwater because of the unprecedented amount of rainfall," Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis wrote in an update. "I give my heartfelt thanks to the police officers, firefighters, public works employees and other city staffers that worked hard through the storm."

Flooding and debris prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday night, forcing airlines to cancel or change flights to and from the airport.

Enough water had drained by early Thursday to allow people to drive on the upper level — or departures — road to pick up waiting passengers. But the entrance to the lower-level, or arrivals, road remained closed.

More than 650 flights were canceled at Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, according to FlightAware.

Operations at the airport resumed at 9 a.m. Friday, according to officials.

"Travelers are advised to check with their airlines for updated flight times BEFORE coming to the airport," officials tweeted. "Thanks for your patience as we work to restore normal operations."

Broward County schools canceled classes and closed offices Thursday and Friday, including after-school and extracurricular activities, after water flooded hallways and classrooms at some schools.

Fort Lauderdale City Hall remained closed Friday after the building experienced ground-floor flooding and lost power. A tunnel carrying U.S. Route 1 under a river and a major street in downtown Fort Lauderdale was also closed, along with some ramps to Interstate 95.

The Red Cross set up a staging area to help residents whose homes were flooded, providing them with blankets and coffee, officials said.

As of Thursday night, about 600 people were taken to emergency shelter locations, according to city officials.

There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

Jeremy Ennis, who has worked in Fort Lauderdale for more than two decades, told CNN he was stuck in his car Thursday on a road inundated with floodwaters.

"Never have I seen anything like this, ever," Ennis told CNN. "I've never seen this volume of water, and I've seen (Hurricane) Katrina. I've seen many more hurricanes."

Tow truck driver Keith Hickman said he saw abandoned cars "floating like boats" in the streets of Fort Lauderdale.

"There were hundreds of cars up and down here," he said. "It was unbelievable. I have never seen cars bumper-boating each other and floating. And a truck would come by and the wake would push the cars into the other cars and they were just floating. I've never seen anything like it."

As cleanup continues, South Florida braced for the possibility of more rain Friday. According to the National Weather Service, scattered thunderstorms are possible Friday, especially during the afternoon and early evening hours.

Thunderstorms remain in the forecast this weekend and into early next week, mainly during the afternoon and early evening hours each day. According to forecasters, any storms bring the potential for locally heavy rain, which could lead to additional flooding.