Flash Flood Emergency issued for parts of Broward, Tornado Warning expires
MIAMI - The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency for parts of Broward County on Wednesday evening.
The emergency, which was in effect through 2 a.m., was issued for Hollywood, Dania Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.
"This is going to be a dangerous night for our friends in Broward County," chief meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said, referencing the 20 inches of rain that drenched parts of Broward County.
The flooding prompted Broward County public schools to cancel classes and all activities on Thursday because of flooding.
Late on Wednesday evening, a Tornado Warning had been issued for the same area through 10:15 p.m. but it expired.
In a tweet, the NWS said this is a life-threatening situation.
"Dania Beach, the heart of Fort Lauderdale is where this is happening from this cell that has not moved. Radar estimates upwards of 20 inches." said CBS News Miami chief meteriologist Ivan Cabrera.
"We are getting continuous updates but there is the cell that will not move. It is relentless and moving through the same area. We are talking about the airport closed and reports of the hospital closed as well. Law enforcement asking us to tell you to avoid this area."
Authorities urged residents to seek higher ground and to avoid driving or walking in flooded areas.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Chief Stephen Gollan said his personnel were involved in a lot of water rescues and they had to call in resources from the Florida Wildlife Control.
Flooding was impacting the southern part of Fort Lauderdale, but there was flooding from as far north as Oakland Park to the Fort Lauderdale Airport and east to 441 Highway.
Officials said the flooding got worse as you neared the airport.
No deaths had been attributed to the flooding on Wednesday evening. Gollan said he was not sure how many people had been injured, but said there definetely some.
The potential exposure, according to the service, is over 250,000 people and the area of concern included five hospitals.
A flash flood EMERGENCY is in effect for areas near Hollywood, Dania Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. This is a life threatening situation. https://t.co/gJWhKmGsnq
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) April 13, 2023
Torrential rains also affected access to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday evening.
Travel #alert (Update No. 4): #FLL remains closed to flights and roadway traffic until further notice. Our entrance and exit roads are still flooded and congested with vehicular traffic. Again, please do not try to enter or leave #FLL until the weather improves. #StaySafe
— Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int'l Airport (FLL) (@FLLFlyer) April 12, 2023