PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Many parts of South Florida are drying out after downpours that flooded streets overnight Sunday into Monday. The flood water even seeped into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s garages and flights were delayed early Monday morning.
In Broward County, Hollywood got battered with the quick rains that eventually forced street closures. Cars could be seen submerged waiting for tow trucks to arrive.
Driving through Hollywood neighborhoods, Local 10′s crew saw city streets that were as deep as a river. Debris was scattered everywhere and motorists said they had been stranded for hours.
One driver said she had to climb on top of her car and waited for 40 minutes as the water rose around her car.
A resident along Moffett Street on Hollywood’s east side said his home was damaged by the water.
Water finally began to subside early Monday evening on the city’s east side.
Rainfall totals since Sunday afternoon to Monday morning were measured in Broward County cities at 7.15″ in Fort Lauderdale; Hallandale, 12.75; Hollywood, 7.34″; Pompano Beach, 3.05."
In Miami-Dade County, a seawall collapse brought the sidewalk with it in Sunny Isles Beach. Surveyors said a rusted tieback underground that held the seawall and sidewalk together just couldn’t hold as rising flood waters rushed through overnight Sunday. Residents of Arlen House Condominiums woke up to cars almost tipping into the water where they were parked by the seawall.
In Aventura, flooding overtook Biscayne Lake Gardens, which lived up to its name and literally became a lake. In Opa Locka, residents told Local 10 they were trapped and waterlogged in their cars and houses.
In Miami-Dade County, totals in Coconut Grove recorded 5.02″ and in Miami, 3.10″ of rain fell.
Local 10 Certified Meterologist Luke Dorris said some of the areas saw more rain in one evening than over three days of the last big weather event in South Florida, Hurricane Irma in September 2017.