FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The heavy rain across South Florida resulted in a ceiling collapsing at a Fort Lauderdale apartment building.
The incident happened along the 300 block of Southwest 19th Street, at around 1 a.m., Friday.
“Water started pouring on my head from the ceiling,” said Keia Jones, who lives in the apartment. “I woke my boyfriend up, and I was like, ‘Bae, get up because it’s a lot of water coming from the ceiling.’ Seconds after I got him up, it caved in. I mean, we literally had to jump out of the way. He had to jump out of the bed, and I had to jump back, it was a big crash. The whole ceiling fell.”
Some areas received four to six inches of rain.
Additional showers are expected on Friday.
Jones said the American Red Cross has stepped in and offered to put them in a hotel.
“They said they only can do a couple of nights, but we have no transportation, clothes need washing bad ’cause everything ruined,” said Keia’s boyfriend, Jeffery Clark. “There’s nothing we can do. Everything is ruined. All of our clothes are ruined. Red Cross came to help us, but we have no transportation.”
She also said she called her landlord but has not yet received a response. Jones has been living in the apartment for two years.
“This is ridiculous, man,” Jones said. “It really is.”
Jones said her apartment just passed a building inspection.
“We just had inspection two days ago,” she said. “I passed inspection, and then this happened, and I’m like, ‘Wow.'”
By sunrise, crews were on the roof to tarp up the damage, but it will take some time before the roof is fixed.
Some residents said the focus is now cleanup and that if they don’t do it themselves, it won’t get done.
“We not picking on anyone. I just think they need to come and check it and try to do a little better job with that roofing because I think that whole thing is gonna come out,” Jeffery said.
A flood advisory was issued for parts of Broward County but has since expired.
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