FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Rescuers pulled residents in Fort Lauderdale to safety after severe floods affected Broward County.
Most South Florida residents had never faced a flooding emergency like this one.
“We were hit last night with a deluge of rain,” said Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Chief Michael Kane.
Parts of Fort Lauderdale woke up under several feet of rain. Nearly a third of the year’s worth of rain fell only on Wednesday.
Entire neighborhoods are now under water.
Residents were trapped in their homes as firefighters used boats in the rush to rescue the most vulnerable ones, which included children and dogs.
Traffic was also a big problem for residents who tried to resume their lives on Thursday morning..
This road near Atlantic Shores Boulevard looked more like a parking lot, and flooding along Marina Mile Boulevard just off Interstate 95 led to a traffic nightmare for morning commuters.
Officials advised residents to observe caution.
“Please continue to stay off the roads,” Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said.
They are urging everyone who is in the affected areas to stay inside as crews work around the clock to relieve the unprecedented flooding.
“We also ask residents to be patient as this was, some say, a thousand-year storm,” Trantalis said.
Going outside could mean more cars stuck on the water, which equals to more people needing rescue and less time to clear the streets.
Fire rescue officials also urge people to pack their patience while inside, and only contact them in the case of an emergency.
“They should pick up their phone, they should call 911,” Kane said.
Even though more rain is expected on Thursday, and the flooding situation is already dire, rescuers are hopeful that the worst of the storm is already behind them.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.