FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A tropical disturbance that brought a rare flooding emergency to much of South Florida has delayed flights at the state’s two major airports and left cars stranded in floodwaters on some of the region’s lowest roads.
“It was like the beginning of a zombie movie,” said tow truck driver Ted Rico, who spent most of Wednesday night and Thursday morning helping to remove stranded cars. “Cars were strewn everywhere – on the sidewalk, on the median, in the middle of the road – no lights on. It’s crazy. There are abandoned cars everywhere.”
Rico, of One Master Trucking, was born and raised in Miami and said he was prepared for emergencies.
“You know when it’s coming,” he says, “and every year it just gets worse, and for some reason people keep walking through the puddles.”
Matthew Koziol, Matias Ricci, Manuel Ricci and Raul Fernandez use a raft to cross flooded roads caused by heavy rains on North Bay Road in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via The Associated Press)
Travelers in the region were trying to adjust their plans Thursday morning. More than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain has fallen in some parts of South Florida since Tuesday, with more expected in the coming days.
Long ticketing and security lines stretched in the domestic concourse at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport just before noon Thursday, and about half of the terminal’s flights had been canceled or postponed, according to a travel information board.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Bill Carlisle spent the morning trying to catch a flight to Norfolk, Virginia. He arrived at Miami International Airport around 6:30 a.m., only to find he was still in line 90 minutes later and would miss security and baggage checks, causing him to miss his flight.
“It was like a zoo,” said Carlisle, the public relations specialist, who spoke for himself, not the Navy. “I don’t blame the airport officials. There’s only so much they can do.”
So he got on his phone and booked an afternoon flight from Fort Lauderdale. He took a shuttle 20 miles north, only to find that the flight was canceled. He was on his way back to Miami to catch a 9pm flight, but he was praying that the heavy rains predicted for that afternoon wouldn’t cancel the flight. He wasn’t angry, he was resigned.
“It’s a long day of just sitting in an airport,” Carlisle said. “That’s normal for government travel.”
Wednesday Heavy rains and subsequent flooding They blocked roads, levitated vehicles, and even Florida Panthers postponed On the way to a Stanley Cup game in Canada against the Edmonton Oilers.
The chaotic storm system moved across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico almost simultaneously with the start of hurricane season in early June. predicted to be the most active This is the latest development amid growing concerns that climate change is making storms more intense.
The National Hurricane Center said the disturbance has not yet reached cyclone strength and has a small chance of becoming a tropical storm as it moves across Florida and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Hector Guifaro clambers onto the front of his car to avoid the flooded roadway in front of St. Edwards Apartments at Edgewater along NE 23rd Street in Miami, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via The Associated Press)
Heavy rain is expected to hit the area for a third consecutive day, the National Weather Service in Miami noted in a post on social media platform “X” early Thursday.
“Short periods of heavy rainfall can cause further flooding!” the post read.
The mayors of Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood declared states of emergency for their cities Wednesday afternoon. Later Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency for five counties on Florida’s Atlantic coast – Broward and Miami-Dade counties, and Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties on the state’s west coast.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levin Cava also declared a local state of emergency.
Further north, the National Weather Service in Melbourne confirmed an EF-1 tornado struck Hobe Sound on the Atlantic coast, north of West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday morning.
A man walks along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk as heavy rain falls in parts of South Florida, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Hollywood, Florida. (Matthias J. Ochner/Miami Herald via The Associated Press)
Strong winds toppled several banyan trees and damaged businesses, Martin County Fire and Rescue officials said. No injuries were reported, but debris on the road cut off access to wealthy Jupiter Island.
Florida has already seen rain and wind this week. About 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain fell in Miami on Tuesday, and 7 inches (17 centimeters) fell in Miami Beach, according to the National Weather Service. About 5 inches (12 centimeters) of rain fell in Hollywood.
Rain is expected for the rest of the week, with the National Weather Service in Miami extending a flood watch through Thursday, with some locations potentially receiving up to 6 more inches (15 centimeters).
Most of the western part of the state Prolonged droughtSarasota-Bradenton International Airport also saw significant rainfall on Tuesday, according to the weather service, and flood warnings were issued for those areas as well.
Forecasters are predicting a busier than normal hurricane season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, predicting between 17 and 25 named storms, including up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes, over the coming months. An average season has 14 named storms.
___
A man removes debris from a flooded road during heavy rainfall in parts of South Florida, in Hollywood, Fla., Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (Matthias J. Ochner/Miami Herald via The Associated Press)
Associated Press Sports Writers Stephen Whyno in Edmonton, Canada, and Kurt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.
