Washed Out: Fort Lauderdale Airport and Schools Shut Down After Record Rainfall”

On Wednesday night, Broward County in Florida experienced a dire situation as a flash flood emergency was declared due to excessive rainfall. Certain regions within the county received over 12 inches of rainfall, leading to hazardous conditions.

Due to copious rainfall caused by thunderstorms, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood emergency in Broward County, Florida.

Some areas in South Florida received over a foot of rain, leading to hazardous conditions. The flash flood emergency was later replaced with a flood warning that remained in effect until Thursday morning.

Despite the rain ceasing, several roads remained closed, as cautioned by the NWS in their early Thursday update. The NWS urged the public to follow instructions from local officials and not to disregard road closure signs.

The heavy rain was a result of thunderstorms that persisted throughout Wednesday afternoon and evening in and around Fort Lauderdale.

As a result of heavy rainfall, all public schools in Broward County remained closed on Thursday.

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport experienced extensive flooding and was expected to remain closed until at least noon on Thursday.

However, the upper-level departures roadway of the airport reopened at around 3 a.m. on Thursday to facilitate drivers picking up their stranded family and friends. The lower-level arrivals road, however, remained closed.

Some areas in Broward County near the airport were estimated to have received as much as 14 inches of rain on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning on Wednesday night, stating that “life-threatening flash flooding” could occur in low water crossings, small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets, and underpasses.

In response to the hazardous conditions, the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department urged drivers to stay off the roads to ensure their safety.