After 22 to 26 inches of rain fell in Fort Lauderdale, about 30 km north of Miami, authorities have declared a state of emergency and closed the international airport. People have been seen moving in improvised boats along the tracks. To prevent the circulation of vehicles, the entrance routes to the terminal have been closed. They only allow cars on the exit causeway to evacuate passengers who are still trapped.
For almost a week, South Florida has been under heavy rain. Miami is also under a flood emergency. A television channel captured images of a man swimming in the center of the city. But the airport is still open.
“Much of the city has been under water due to the unprecedented amount of rain. News reports indicate that some sections saw up to 22 inches of rain,” Mayor Dean J. Trantalis said after signing the emergency order, which also led to the closure of schools.
Flooded and without electricity, the mayor’s office was closed to the public: “we will focus on emergency operations and recovery. There may be delays in garbage collection and transportation service, as certain roads are impassable,” he added.
In the neighboring city of Dania Beach, the authorities also decreed a state of emergency. The city hall, the beach, the pier and all the parks are closed. Emergency crews are assessing streets, facilities and infrastructure throughout the city.
Many Fort Lauderdale-bound flights were diverted to Miami airport, where weather conditions were comparatively more favorable. The torrential rains only affected some areas of the lower parking lot. “The action of the water pumps solved the flooding in a few hours,” said Indira Almeida, spokeswoman for the Miami terminal.
News under construction…
