(Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Denis Mendez, Isain Lopez, and Santiago Rojas walk through a flooded street on April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Nearly 26 inches of rain fell on Fort Lauderdale over a 24-hour period, with more expected throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport traffic is closed until 5 a.m. Friday.

Fort Lauderdale declared a state of emergency due to record-breaking rainfall that poured into the city, causing a flash flood emergency. The rainiest day disrupted the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which remains shuttered. Schools in the vicinity have also closed their doors to students as they suspended classes.

Flooding has submerged some houses and buildings in the areas, damaging them. After braving the floodwaters, numerous drivers have also abandoned their vehicles, which stalled their automobiles amid the heavy downpour.

Florida's Rainiest Day in History

As per CNN, residents of Fort Lauderdale experienced record-breaking rainfall on Wednesday. The National Weather Service in Miami reports that the city had a widespread rainfall of around 26 inches for an entire day or in 24 hours, which historically booked the rainiest day in the city.

Meanwhile, Fox News Orlando reports that the officials at Fort Lauderdale dubbed the record-breaking rainfall event a "1 in a 1,000-year" phenomenon. Mayor Dean Trantalis states, "The amount of rainfall is unprecedented," noting some reports pointed out that it was over "20 inches of rain in some areas."

The flooding was pretty dramatic too. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings in various areas, such as Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Fort Lauderdale.

Due to the record-breaking rainfall in the area, Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Broward County, citing the flooding and the heavy downpour. According to CBS News, the executive order seeks to speed up the help that the residents need.

Following Broward County, Dania Beach also went into a state of emergency, closing down various public places, such as the beach, pier, City Hall, and all parks in the area.

Besides these, the officials of Fort Lauderdale have already issued a city-wide state of emergency amid the epic flooding due to the historical downpour. The City Hall is still closed to the public as its ground floor is submerged in floodwater.

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(Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - APRIL 13: Planes sit at their gates after the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was closed due to the runways being flooded on April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The heavy rain yesterday caused flooding as the region recorded rainfall totals of more than a foot.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport Remains Closed

The airport in the city, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, temporarily ceased operation on Wednesday night due to heavy rains and floods and will remain closed until Friday.

In a recent tweet, the international airport announced that the facility will "remain closed until 9 am on Friday, April 14, 2023." The Twitter post explains that the delay in opening aims to give way to "final daylight inspections." It should determine if it is already safe to accommodate flights again following the historic rainfall.

Fox Colorado notes that various airlines had to cancel or divert their flights to the Orlando International Airport due to the closure of the Fort Lauderdale airport.

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