Torrential Downpours Cause Severe Flooding in South Florida
South Florida is grappling with severe flooding after days
of relentless rain. On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of
emergency for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota counties. Local
leaders, including Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Mayor Francis
Suarez, and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, also declared emergencies, as
did the cities of Dania Beach and Sunny Isles Beach. In Dania Beach alone,
police and fire crews conducted at least 40 rescues.
Thursday brought significant disruptions. Broward County
public schools, county courts, U.S. district courts, and Dania Beach's city
hall were closed. However, Broward College remained open. In Miami, city
services at the Miami River Center, City Hall, parks, summer camps, and solid
waste collection were suspended. Miami-Dade public schools continued their
summer sessions.
Higher education institutions were also affected: Florida
International University's Biscayne Bay campus and Nova Southeastern
University's Oceanographic Center closed due to flooding. Tri-Rail services
between Metrorail Transfer and MiamiCentral stations were suspended, as were
Brightline services between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Miami Beach offered free
towing for stalled cars in anticipation of more rain.
Flooding led to early morning rescues in northeastern
Miami-Dade, where vehicles were stranded in deep water. Miami residents could
obtain sandbags at Douglas Park, while North Miami and Opa-Locka also distributed
sandbags.
Rainfall totals were staggering: North Miami received over
20 inches, Hallandale Beach and Hollywood over 19 inches, Davie nearly 18
inches, Dania Beach 10 inches, and Plantation almost nine inches. Fort
Lauderdale experienced its wettest June day on record, although not its wettest
day ever, which occurred last April with nearly two feet of rain.
A resident of Northeast Miami-Dade described wading through
waist-deep water to reach his home, expressing concerns about the duration of
the flooding. In Hollywood, a pump on N 14th Avenue off Sheridan Street
couldn't keep up with the rain, leaving more than a dozen cars stalled in
knee-deep water.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for
Miami-Dade and Broward through Friday at 8 p.m. Areas affected include Miami,
Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miramar, and others. The stormy
weather pattern is expected to persist through the end of the workweek, with a
slight reduction in tropical moisture over the weekend.
