Fort Lauderdale declares state of emergency after historic rainfall, flooding

FORT LAUDERDALE - More rain is in the forecast after substantial downpours inundated Fort Lauderdale and parts of South Florida in a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event.

LATEST UPDATES: 

11:10 p.m.: CBS News Miami's Larry Seward reports from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport:

11:05 p.m.: CBS News Miami's Anna McAllister reports on the state of the roads near Fort Lauderdale and on how towing companies are working overtime:

11 p.m.: CBS News Miami's Gabrielle Arzola reports from Fort Lauderdale: 

9:15 p.m.: Flood Warning issued for Broward County through 8 a.m. Friday

8:30 p.m.: Roads currently impassable due to flooding: 

-Sunrise @ A1A to 1600 A1A
-15 Ave. @ E Sunrise.
- 2400-2900 Bayview Dr.
- Sunrise to 1600 Bayview
- A1A @ 9 St.
- The Henry E. Kinney Tunnel remains closed at this time.

8 p.m.: The Red Cross is assisting with a shelter at Holiday Park, 1150 G. Harold Martin Dr. in Fort Lauderdale.
Approximately 600 people have been brought to the emergency shelter locations, officials said. 

7:52 p.m.: Flood Watch for Miami-Dade, Broward County extended until midnight. 

7:20 p.m.: CBS News Miami reports from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: 

7:17 p.m.: Flash Flood Warning extended through 9:30 p.m. for parts of Broward. 

7:05 p.m.: Flood Advisory issued for Miami-Dade County through 8 p.m. 

6:45 p.m: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to remain closed until at least 9 a.m. on Friday. 

6:40 p.m.: Neighbors4Neighbors is asking for your contribution to help those affected by floods. Click here to help. 

6 p.m.: Broward public schools to remain closed Friday, officials have announced during a Thursday evening news conference.

4:45 p.m.: Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Miami-Dade, Broward until 5:15 p.m. 

4:30 p.m.: Flash Flood Warning extended for parts of Broward County until 8 p.m.

4:27 p.m.: Broward Mayor Lamar Fisher provides an update on the efforts to deal with the flooding in the county:

4:15 p.m.: Severe Storm Warning issued for parts of Broward until 4:45 p.m. 

3:42 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis issues executive order, declaring a state of emergency in Broward County because of heavy rain and flooding. The order invokes necessary rules and statutes to speed help to the county and its residents affected by the flooding.

3:37 p.m.: The office of Gov. DeSantis said, "At the direction of Governor DeSantis, the state emergency response apparatus is in full swing responding to the flooding and the needs of the localities as they are communicated to us."

3:21 p.m.: National Weather Services issues Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 3:45 p.m. for Broward County, still reeling from flooding from Wednesday.

3:05 p.m.: CBS News Miami's Joan Murray reports from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and provides an update on flooded runways and when the airport is expected to reopen. 

3 p.m.: CBS News Miami's Larry Seward reports from just outside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport where several vehicles were stranded in flooded waters.
Here's his report:

2:50 p.m.:  Red Cross announces opening of shelter in Fort Lauderdale to assist flooding victims. "The Red Cross is working closely with the entire response community -to coordinate relief and support efforts," said Paula Prendergast, executive director of the American Red Cross Broward County chapter. "The Red Cross is committed to helping all those affected and providing services until we are no longer needed." The Red Cross shelter is located at Holiday Park, 1150 G. Martin Drive, Ft. Lauderdale.

2:46 p.m.: National Weather Service confirms that two EF0 tornadoes were reported near Dania Beach Wednesday during the storms.

2:36 p.m.:  Just shy of 26 inches of rain fell in Broward County Thursday, which is 43 percent of its yearly rainfall total, and the precipitation fell in three hours, CBS News chief meteorologist Ivan Cabrera says.  

2:13 p.m. Rain is starting to happen in South Florida and it could be multiple inches an hour. There were two confirmed tornadoes on the ground during Wednesday's storms, CBS News chief meteorologist Ivan Cabrera says.

1:56 p.m.: CBS News chief meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said more storms are in the forecast for South Florida and areas already inundated with flooding could see additional rainfall. "For this afternoon through 8 o'clock, we could be dealing with additional rain and impacts."

1:25 p.m.: Broward officials say people in non-emergency situations should call 954-828-8000 for assistance instead of calling 911. Authorities say anyone in a life-threatening situation should call 911.

1:03 p.m.: Lamar Fisher, Broward County mayor, advised passengers to not come to the airport until it resumes operations. "Please don't come," he said.

12:48 p.m.: Door Dash suspends operations in Fort Lauderdale until 5 p.m. but that is "dependent on evolving weather conditions." These changes have been communicated with Dashers, merchants and customers in the affected areas, the company said. "Flooding in Fort Lauderdale has created road conditions that make driving extremely dangerous, if not impossible," said DoorDash spokesperson Julian Crowley.

12:09 p.m.: Hollywood YMA announces that it will close at 1 p.m. because of weather.

11:53 a.m.: Gov. DeSantis issues statement on Broward flooding, saying FDEM has deployed staff to support local efforts including collecting damage assessment data in Broward County. The Florida Highway Patrol has increased staffing to coordinate coverage in response to the flooding and in anticipation of additional storms forecasted in the area.

11:40 a.m. - Residents of several Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods, rescued from their homes after being trapped by flood waters, were brought to a staging center. CBS News Miami's Joe Gorchow reports organizers are now trying to find places for them to go.

11:38 a.m. National Weather Service extends flood warning until 4 p.m. for Broward County.

11:32 a.m. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis speaking live. He said city responded to over 900 calls during rainfall event. City offices will be closed. Parking enforcement operations will be suspended. During the news conference, Trantalis said he had not heard from Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

"No city could have planned for this," he said.

11:27 a.m. FPL reports 934 customers without power and 177 without electricity in Miami-Dade.

11:16 a.m. Michael Kane, of Broward Fire Rescue, says agency has had to go house to house by boat to rescue trapped people because of submerged roads.

 "Definitely one of the worst rain events," he said after working in emergency response for several decades.

10:45 a.m. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which is closed due to flooded roadways, runways, and tarmac, will reopen early Friday morning. 

10:35 a.m. Dania Beach has declared a State of Emergency. City Hall, the beach, the pier, and all parks will be closed on Thursday. Crews are currently assessing streets, city facilities, and infrastructure citywide to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Residents are urged to stay off the streets if possible.

10:32 a.m. Outpatient services at Broward Health Medical Center are canceled for Thursday. All other business operations continue as normal. Physician practices are closed at the following locations only: medical office building located inside Broward Health Medical Center and the offices located at 1625 SE 3rd Ave. and 1601 S Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Drivers should avoid the intersection of Third Avenue and Andrews Avenue. 

10:30 a.m. Several Broward County facilities experienced impacts from the flooding and some services are not available on Thursday.

• Broward County Libraries are closed today
• Other county facilities closed today include: Nancy J. Cotterman Center (NJCC), Broward Addiction Recovery Center (BARC), Office of the Medical Examiner & Trauma Services
• Broward Schools are closed today
• The State Attorney's Office is closed today
• 17th Circuit Court is closed today, including all courthouses. 

10:15 a.m. Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy stated that the homes and roadways in Hollywood yesterday have significantly drained. "Thankfully I can report that many of the neighborhoods that yesterday had over a foot and a half of water and many of the roadways making non-passable with cars stuck on the side. A lot of them have significantly drained out and the roadways are even dry. That's not the case for other neighborhoods."  

10:15 a.m. Broward Mayor Lamar Fisher said the hardest hit areas are in Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale on the eastern portions of the county. He said they are working with those municipalities to provide mutual aide and assistance.

"Any way we can help and assist our municipalities we will do so. I know our administration is working directly with the city manager(Fort Lauderdale) and have for the last 24 hours and providing the assistance we can. Whatever they ask for we will give them," he said. 

More rain is in the forecast after substantial downpours inundated Fort Lauderdale and parts of South Florida in a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event.

While the rain Thursday won't reach nearly the amounts that fell on Wednesday, it will be problematic and create additional flooding, the National Weather Service said. Gusty winds, small hail, and even isolated tornadoes are possible.

Broward County is under a flood warning through noon.

Fort Lauderdale officials have activated its emergency operations center and issued a local state of emergency. The city is using airboats and high-clearance buggies from the county sheriff's office and the Florida Wildlife Commission to rescue people and pets trapped in homes by flood waters. 

A staging area has been set up at the Winn Dixie near SR 84 and 9 Ave. A reunification center has been set up at Holiday Park.

Fort Lauderdale's City Hall remains closed. The ground floor is flooded, and staff is working to restore power to the building.

They ask residents to be patient with the flooding. Service crews are out responding to flooding reports and concerns.

Officials have asked residents to avoid driving or traveling in Fort Lauderdale amid the storms. They said anyone who left their vehicle abandoned on the roadway and is now unable to locate it should contact Westway Towing at (954) 731-1115.

The Broward Sheriff's Office said it's been inundated with non-emergency 911 calls regarding the "inclement weather." They ask residents to use 911 only for "true emergencies." They also want residents to avoid driving on flooded roads and call a tow truck company if a vehicle is stranded and not in an emergency.

Broward Sheriff firefighters have responded to several hundred weather-related emergencies over the past thirty-six hours, mostly to assist stranded motorists when their cars became stuck in high waters.

Between 14 and 20 inches of rain drenched the greater Fort Lauderdale metro area Wednesday afternoon, according to a Thursday morning update from the National Weather Service office in Miami.

"This amount of rain in a 24-hour period is incredibly rare for South Florida," said meteorologist Ana Torres-Vazquez from the weather service's Miami forecast office.

Rainfall of 20 to 25 inches is similar to what the area can receive with a high-end hurricane over more than a day, Torres-Vazquez explained.

South Florida could get an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain from Thursday's storms. 

There is a slight risk, Level 2 of 5, for severe storms Thursday in parts of Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Jacksonville, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

In:
• Fort Lauderdale