LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - Rescue crews have taken a man to the hospital after a car went into a canal in Lauderhill, as residents in Broward County deal with heavy downpours and widespread flooding caused by Tropical Storm Eta.
Lauderhill Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the area of Northwest 42nd Avenue and 21st Street, Sunday night.
#BREAKING #Lauderhill fire units on scene of vehicle that drove into a canal. 4121 NW 21th St. Firefighters pulled one subject from vehicle and searching for others. Patient being txp to @BrowardHealth in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/uWak6dotL7
— Lauderhill Fire PIO (@LauderhillFDPIO) November 9, 2020
Officials said floodwaters concealed the canal beyond the dark parking lot, causing the driver to go into the water.
Rescue divers broke the car’s window to reach the victim. He was transported to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition.
A photo shared by fire rescue officials shows a firefighter and a diver on the scene.
Officials said a witness at the apartment complex in Lauderhill apparently thought he saw a second person in the vehicle when it went into the water, but divers who searched the canal did not find anyone else.
City officials have since put cones along Northwest 21st Street in an effort to advise drivers to avoid the roadway.
One man spent his Monday morning helping drivers get out of the flooded roadway.
“We ain’t ever seen this before,” he said. “I think the reason why it’s like this is because we got three lakes and all three lakes got flooded over, so it came in the road. Unfortunately, the drain system is not working so good as it’s supposed to, but it’s just sad, to tell you the honest truth.”
Rising water has become a concern across Broward.
In a Dania Beach neighborhood, roads turned into rivers.
Several cars were stalled in the street near Southwest 40th Avenue and 52nd Street.
“The car shut down, so they told me to turn around and go back,” said area resident Nelson Stark.
Floodwaters also crept very close to doorsteps, even before nightfall.
Some residents resorted to rafts in the roadways.
Vehicles also made waves in Lauderdale Lakes, including near Northwest 44th Avenue and 29th Street.
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