Sawgrass Mills Mall Closed For 2nd Day Due To Flooded Parking Lots
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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) - Several days of torrential rain have taken their toll on the Sawgrass Mills Mall, or rather its parking lot.
For a second day, the shopping outlet in western Sunrise will remain closed because its parking lot remains flooded, according to a statement from the mall's management.
"Sawgrass Mills received another inch and a half of rain overnight, which erased the water recession gains of yesterday. The Sawgrass area has received 15 inches of rain in the last three days and 10 inches were within 24 hours. The amount of rain received according to the National Weather Services is more than any named hurricane storm with the exception of Irene in 2005.
The mall buildings themselves are completely unaffected by this event, it is only the flooding to the access roads and portions of the parking fields that has caused the closure. The safety of our shoppers, tenants, and employees is our primary concern. As soon as the flood waters have receded, we will reopen the center."
The flooding has also impacted a job fair Thursday at the BB&T Center which is right next door to the mall. The event will go on but those going are being advised to only use Gate 2 to access the parking lot.
While rain is in the forecast, the National Weather Service said fewer clouds are expected Thursday, with some sunshine in the morning and scattered storms in the afternoon. There's also a 70 percent chance of rain in South Florida on Friday with diminishing rain chances over the weekend.
Some areas got up to 11 inches of rain between Monday and Wednesday. The weather service said 7.3 inches fell in Sunrise, where Sawgrass Mills is located.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)