Florida locals are used to the occasional tropical storm. But this week, severe thunderstorms caught everyone off guard.
Heavy rainfall has overwhelmed the streets in South Florida, with some areas receiving more than 20 inches of floodwater, according to the Miami Herald. Businesses, homes and airports have been overwhelmed by the downpour, leaving many travelers and locals stranded.
Two people have died from a “weather-related crash,” according to Naples Daily News.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for five counties in Florida, according to CNN. While officials have urged people to stay off the streets, it’s been hard to avoid getting wet.
Mayor Dean Trantalis of Fort Lauderdale warned of continuing rainfall in a press conference, per the Miami Herald. “It is very, very important — I want to stress this — for everyone to stay off the roads,” he said. “The roads need to be open for emergency vehicles to get to emergency situations.”
Trantalis later added, “This level of water may outpace what our stormwater system is capable of handling.”
Ted Rico, a tow truck driver with One Master Trucking Corp., told The Associated Press that the flooded areas “looked like the beginning of a zombie movie.” He spent much of his Wednesday night and Thursday morning clearing the streets of vehicles. “There’s cars littered everywhere, on top of sidewalks, in the median, in the middle of the street, no lights on. Just craziness, you know. Abandoned cars everywhere.”
Travel delays in South Florida
The particularly heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday caused major slow-downs at airports. According to CBS News, the rain brought travel to a halt at Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airports, causing delays of up to seven hours.
The weather was bad enough to delay the Florida Panthers on their journey to Edmonton for the Stanley Cup Final, per the Miami Herald. Their flight was delayed by more than three hours.
The major flooding in Lauderhill, Florida, led to a canceled match in the men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. The game — set between Ireland and the USA — was abandoned due to weather, per CNN. Luckily, both teams earned a point as a result, bumping the USA up into the Super 8 stage of the tournament — a massive feat for the team that is playing for the first time ever in the T20 World Cup.
Disney World has also had to make some weather-induced changes, mostly by closing its outdoor attractions. As of today, each park is open except for Disney’s Blizzard Beach. Sea World Orlando is also still open.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an 85% chance of an “above-normal” Atlantic hurricane season this year, with an forecast of 17 to 25 named storms — 8 to 13 of which will likely become hurricanes.
According to the American Red Cross, the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The rise in storm frequency stems from a warmer Atlantic Ocean as the summer begins.