MIAMI – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in South Florida Wednesday evening after 24 hours of severe weather brought heavy rain and flooding to the region.
Flash flood warnings were issued for parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where rain rates of several inches per hour submerged streets and snarled traffic.
The city of Sarasota was flooded on Tuesday, with a record 3.93 inches of rain falling in just one hour. The rain is forcing the ground to a halt at both Miami and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports, causing delays of more than seven hours.
“We were looking at renting a vehicle to try to get to Orlando and maybe catch a flight, but that's not going to work either,” frustrated traveler Chris Stephens told CBS Miami.
In a statement, the governor's office said severe weather and flash flooding prompted DeSantis to declare a state of emergency in Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties.
Earlier in the day, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis also declared states of emergency, along with the cities of Dania Beach and Sunny Isles Beach .
“Due to the ongoing heavy rainfall, several roads throughout the city of Fort Lauderdale, including major thoroughfares such as Broward Boulevard and Federal Highway near downtown, are experiencing high water levels,” Trantalis told X .
In Dania Beach, there were at least 40 rescues by police and firefighters, CBS News Miami learned.
Periods of heavy rain continued to flood low-lying areas, with poor drainage throughout South Florida.
In Lee County on the Gulf Coast, emergency officials had to rescue at least one driver from flood waters. Further north, a possible tornado downed trees and power lines in Martin County.
The storms are part of a stagnant system that has hit Florida, dumping a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours, with more rain expected this week.
A flood warning remained in effect for Miami-Dade and Broward counties until 10 p.m. The National Weather Service also issued a rare flash flood emergency for parts of southern Broward County and northern Miami-Dade that expired at 8 p.m.
A flash flood warning was also issued for Broward and Miami-Dade.
The National Weather Service warned residents to “move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing a flood-prone area or under an order of evacuation”.
Meanwhile, MIA officials said at least 221 flights had been canceled and 165 delayed so far Tuesday, while at FLL there were at least 261 flight cancellations and 166 delays.
The Florida Panthers had a three-hour delay at FLL before their flight took off for Edmonton, Canada, for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Final series.
South Florida officials he said fire trucks were in place or heading to flooded areas where they are needed.
In Broward County, part of I-95 had been closed due to flooding on the road.
Power outages were also reported across South Florida and some traffic lights were affected, making an already dire driving situation for motorists even worse.
Florida Power & Light said more than 8,900 customers were without power in Miami-Dade County as of Tuesday evening, and approximately 1,900 were without power in Broward County.
Law enforcement advised drivers who needed a tow truck to call tow truck companies first if possible, rather than immediately contacting police.
This wet and stormy weather pattern will remain in South Florida through the end of the work week, forecasters say, with the tropical moisture dissipating slightly over the weekend. This will leave the region a little drier, but there will still be a chance for storms, but not as widespread.
During the last 24 hoursMiami Beach saw nearly 7 inches of rain, Hallandale Beach saw 6 inches of rain, while Hollywood, North Miami and Coral Gables received just over 5 inches.
The 4 to 6 inches of rain that fell Tuesday crushed Miami-Dade County's rain deficit and made a dent in Broward's deficit.
However, forecasters say an additional 4 to 8 inches are possible over the next few days and flood risk to be continued.
