FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida as a Category 5 storm, parts of Broward County are starting to experience flooding caused by the rain.
7Skyforce hovered over Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas neighborhoods, where some streets had standing water, Monday afternoon.
Since the weekend, water pumps have been working to move water away from homes and businesses in the lower laying parts in Broward County.
In Edgewood, flooding has been common in the last several months. The rain before Hurricane Milton hits is creating a feeling of dread for residents.
“We had a lot of water, yes,” said one resident.
“I had four feet of water in my house,” said another resident. “When you see your bed float and all your pictures are floating, and all your life is destroyed, and you had to get your dog out and grab him, it’s scary.”
South Florida can see up to eight inches of rain this week. Residents are concerned about the standing water and continued rain showers.
“This past weekend, we already had four inches of rain and so the ground is wet and probably saturated with water, so we are very, very concerned about that,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
On Monday night, a welcomed break in the rain for South Floridians like Janette Builes, who lives on a street in Hollywood that floods regularly, but a new pump on the corner seems to be working out.
“Like last year we had during the rain bomb, we had about two feet of water,” said Builes. “So I know they built trenches all along the golf course here. So they’re doing that and I would say maybe two weeks they had this [water pump] here.”
“Do you see a difference,” said 7News reporter Robbin Simmons.
“You know, I actually do see a bit of a difference,” said Builes.
Though forecasts are not predicting a direct hit to Miami-Dade, city leaders are still working to prepare for the rain and strong winds Milton will bring.
“The likely impacts to Miami-Dade County include substantial rain, localized flooding and the possibility of sustained tropical storm force winds,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We are collaborating closely with our commission and with our partners.”
More neighborhoods are expected to see flooding in the coming days.
Hurricane Milton, now a category 5 storm, is not even forecast to directly hit South Florida. Still, the rapid intensification and shifting cone have big impacts on South Florida, like school closures on Wednesday and Thursday for Builes’ son, Orion Ferrer, a fifth grader.
“Very good idea, especially with the rainy weather,” said Ferrer.
His mom will be juggling her work from home, her son at home and working to get her home ready for potential rising waters.
“We don’t know if it’s going to change course, what type of rain its going to bring, what type of winds are going to come. So it’s a lot of unknown,” said Builes.
Residents in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties lined up to collect sandbags to fortify their homes.
Several South Florida universities also announced they closed their campuses in an abundance of caution.
City leaders throughout South Florida urge drivers to turn around if they see a lot of standing water on the roads.
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