Fort Lauderdale, Broward Soaked With Waist-Deep Floodwaters | Miami New Times
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Mayor: Fort Lauderdale Received 900 Calls for Help Amid Historic Storm (UPDATED)

A man was seen swimming through the floodwaters around rush hour outside the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
April 13, 2023
The sun rises over waterlogged Broward County after a night of historic rain.
The sun rises over waterlogged Broward County after a night of historic rain. Photo by Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
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Update published 1:55 p.m. 4/13/2023: Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said the city's emergency service lines received more than 900 calls for help yesterday as a historic storm inundated Broward County with more than 20 inches of rain in some communities.

The Broward Sheriff's Office and state agencies have been assisting the city by providing high-water vehicles and boats to navigate the floodwaters. Many roads in the Fort Lauderdale metro area remain impassable.

"Driving on airboats through our streets was an interesting phenomenon," Trantalis said at a press briefing.

Workers from Red Cross arrived today and helped operate a staging area at a Winn-Dixie off State Road 84, where blankets and coffee were offered to those displaced by the storm. A reunification center for families was set up at Holiday Park.

"No city could have planned for this," the mayor said.
"Let's face it. Fort Lauderdale is a flat city. It's sea level," Trantalis added. "We're surrounded by water. We're the Venice of America."

While the mayor said that floodwaters were receding in certain spots, the National Weather Service warned that more storms could pass through Broward County this afternoon and cause conditions to deteriorate.

Trantalis said that he had not been in contact with the governor but is working with state agencies to assist residents.

"Gov. DeSantis has not yet called. I'm not sure what's going on," Trantalis said.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport remains closed as a result of severe flooding, stranding hundreds of passengers. Some travelers and their family members complained of being stuck in terminals without adequate food available while the streets outside the airport were waist-deep in water.
Update published 6:20 a.m. 4/13/2023: The storms subsided overnight after an evening of historic rainfall in Fort Lauderdale. Flood concerns remain as scattered storms may develop late this morning into the early evening in South Florida.

"With already saturated grounds and flooding due to recent rain, additional rainfall expected today may lead to localized flooding concerns," the National Weather Service says.

The flash flood emergency was lifted at 2:00 a.m. A region spanning from Coral Springs southward to Homestead remains under a flood watch until 8 p.m.

Update published 11:38 p.m. 4/12/2023: Floodwaters swallowed streets in heavily hit spots in Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where waist-deep water filled the roads.

Over a six-hour period beginning late afternoon, the airport and surrounding area were soaked with more than 20 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

A flash flood emergency was declared in communities stretching from Fort Lauderdale to Dania Beach to Lauderhill, with NWS declaring, "This is a life-threatening situation."

"This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now," an advisory from NWS states.
The City of Fort Lauderdale is asking residents to stay off the roads unless it's absolutely necessary to leave home. Broward County meanwhile announced that public schools will be closed countywide Thursday, April 13.
Earlier in the day, a man was seen swimming through the floodwaters around rush hour outside the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale. By late evening, Broward Boulevard was lined with waterlogged, stranded cars.

Meteorologist Bob Henson reported on social media that over a period of seven hours, Fort Lauderdale received rainfall equal to roughly a third of its annual average.

The rainfall total at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport from the April 13 downpour alone was enough to break a monthly local record of 19.47 inches, set in 1979.
Update published 3:50 p.m. 4/12/2023:Severe storms continue to bring heavy rain and flooding to South Florida.

A flash-flood warning is in place for a wide portion of Broward County as well as northwest Miami-Dade County, including Miami Lakes and nearby communities.
The storms dumped between four and seven inches of rain onto South Florida communities this afternoon. As of roughly 3:40 p.m., the National Weather Service expected two to four more inches in the flood warning area.
The City of Miami deployed temporary pumps throughout the city to alleviate flooding. Pump locations include Mary Brickell Village, NE 23rd St., North Bay Homes Drive, Morningside, the intersection of NE 13th St. and North Bayshore Drive, and the intersection of NE 18th St. and North Bayshore Drive.

Thunderstorms remain in the National Weather Service forecast for South Florida until Friday, April 14.

The original story follows below.

Swaths of Miami are once again experiencing bad flooding following several days of heavy downpours.

In other news, water is wet.

Since early in the week, heavy rainfall has inundated flood-prone areas like Brickell, Downtown, and Edgewater with mucky waters. And like clockwork, the weather has resulted in a soggy mess across much of South Florida as rainfall totals in isolated spots topped five inches.

According to the National Weather Service in Miami, a flood watch has been issued for Miami-Dade and Broward counties, from Deerfield Beach down to Florida City, until at least 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

"Previous rainfall combined with current and additional heavy rainfall could result in flooding across these urban areas," NWS Miami warned.
The torrential rain this week has left cars submerged and stalled in knee-deep waters, residents stranded, and even delivery drivers turned away from completing their routes in Miami neighborhoods.
The City of Miami announced on April 11 that it had placed portable pumps in several areas, including Morningside, Mary Brickell, and Edgewater. Plans are in place to soon deploy vacuum trucks to provide additional flood relief.

Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, tells New Times that the heavy rain is substantial for this time of year.

Given that Miami's rainfall record for April was more than 20 inches back in 1942, he says that topping the monthly record is highly unlikely. Daily records on the other hand, he says, are easier to break.

"Just depends on where the heavy rain lingers, but the potential would be there for daily records," he says.

While large stretches of Miami-Dade and Broward counties received two to three inches of rain over the last 24 hours, measuring stations near Cooper City and Little Havana logged more than four inches.

How much longer until we see the sun again, you might ask?

With more heavy rainfall forecast to be on the way in Miami, McNoldy says we should anticipate a wet and breezy next few days.

If the weather gods are merciful, the skies should clear up by the end of the week.
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Alex DeLuca is a staff writer of Miami New Times where she primarily focuses on news, crime and public safety, education and cannabis. She’s worked for New Times since June 2020. Prior to that, Alex worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and she freelanced for The Appeal. She graduated from the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.
Contact: Alex DeLuca
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