FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – There wasn’t much of a break in Fort Lauderdale Sunday as heavy rain continued throughout the day.
The winds picked up and Tropical Storm Eta created a mess in neighborhoods like the Melrose Park Community, off Davie Boulevard, a flood prone area during storms.
The River Oaks community, just north of Marina Mile Boulevard, had standing water measuring up to a foot in some spots and creeping close to homes and driveways
Residential streets looked like rivers as floodwaters covered sidewalks and streets.
Fort Lauderdale Public Works crews were out all day, monitoring and pumping out storm drains so that the water didn’t get into people’s homes.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said things were made worse by ground that was saturated after weeks of rain.
“Our community has been experiencing a very unusual time. We asked people to protect themselves and do their best to protect their property from being damaged.”
Also working around the clock were tow-truck drivers rescuing stranded drivers. Officials were reminding people to not drive through deep waters.
Trantalis said that with all of the unprecedented rainfall, there was no place for the water to drain as water levels had even risen in the canals.