TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Thursday for Broward County because of severe flooding and rainfall.
widespread showers and thunderstorms rolled in overnight Tuesday and produced "significant" rainfall totals with certain areas of the county seeing heavy rainfall of more than 25 inches, a news release from the governor's office explains.
The rain and flooding might continue to impact the operation of different infrastructures, such as major state and county roadways, airports, hospitals, schools and much more.
With all of this in mind, DeSantis designated the director of the division of emergency management as the state coordinating officer for the duration of the emergency order. He also activated the Florida National Guard as needed to deal with the situation.
To read the full text from the state of emergency, click here.
Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the Broward County region.
The city of Fort Lauderdale released a statement Wednesday evening urging residents and visitors to stay off the roads until the water has subsided.
“Police and Fire Rescue continue to answer calls for service,” the statement said. “Public Works staff are clearing drains and operating pumps to mitigate the water as quickly as possible.”
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Fort Lauderdale and other areas will run into pre-dawn hours Thursday as the chance of thunderstorms continued across the region, warning: “This is a life-threatening situation. Seek higher ground now!”
The heavy rains also prompted South Florida’s high-speed commuter rail service to shut down. Brightline posted on Twitter Wednesday evening that train service between Miami and Fort Lauderdale was suspended.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.