Two women react when they see flooding on a street Thursday, June 13, 2024, in North Miami, Florida.
Martha Lavandile/AP
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Martha Lavandile/AP
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A tropical disturbance dumped up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in southern parts of the state, and forecasters warned Floridians to prepare for further flash flooding, which is expected to worsen Friday. worsen further.
The chaotic storm system swept across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico around the same time hurricane season begins in early June.
Tuesday’s downpours continued into Wednesday, delaying flights at the state’s two largest airports and causing water-soaked and stalled vehicles on some of the region’s lowest streets. Tourists tried to salvage their plans on Thursday and residents cleared the debris ahead of another round of rain.
The National Weather Service warned that even small amounts of precipitation could affect saturated areas, causing flash flooding before the area has a chance to recover Friday.
“It looked like the beginning of a zombie movie,” said Ted Rico, a tow truck driver who spent much of Wednesday night and Thursday morning helping clear the streets of stranded vehicles. “There were cars everywhere, on top of the sidewalk, on the median, in the middle of the street, no lights. Just crazy, you know. Abandoned cars everywhere.
Rico, a member of One Master Trucking Corp. who was born and raised in Miami, said he is prepared for emergencies.
“You know when it’s coming,” he said. “Every year it gets worse and for some reason people just keep walking through the puddles.”
Ticketing and security lines formed around the domestic concourse at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday. Travel signs showed about half of the terminal’s flights had been canceled or postponed.
Bill Carlisle, a Navy petty officer first class, had spent the morning trying to catch a flight back to Norfolk, Virginia. He arrived at Miami International Airport around 6:30 a.m., but 90 minutes later, he was still in line and realized he wouldn’t be able to check his bags and get through security in time to catch his flight.
“It was a zoo,” said Carlisle, the public affairs expert. He was speaking for himself, not the Navy. “There’s nothing you can do against the (airport) staff, there’s only so much they can do.”
He used his cell phone to book an afternoon flight from Fort Lauderdale. He traveled 20 miles (32 kilometers) north on a space shuttle, only to find that his flight had been cancelled. He was preparing to take a 9 pm flight back to Miami, hoping it wouldn’t be canceled due to heavy rain expected later in the day. He was resigned, not angry.
“It was just a long day at the airport,” Carlisle said. “This is standard practice for government travel.”
In Hallandale Beach, Alex Demchemko, who arrived in the U.S. from Russia last month to seek asylum, walks along a flooded sidewalk near an Airbnb with his Russian spaniel, Lex. Lived there afterwards
“We didn’t come out of the apartment, but we had to take our dogs for a walk,” Demchemko said. “A lot of flashes, rain, a lot of floating cars and a lot of left-handers without drivers, a lot of water in the streets. It was a bit catastrophic.
Daniela Urrieche, 26, was bailing out of her SUV on Thursday morning as she returned home from work Wednesday, but the vehicle became stuck on the flooded street.
“I’ve lived here nine years and this is the worst,” she said. “Even with the hurricane, street conditions are not as bad as they have been over the past 24 hours.”
Flooding is not limited to streets. Charli Johnson poured water into the sink and toilet at her Hallandale Beach home Wednesday night.
“The water just started coming out in the back and coming out in the front,” Johnson said.
