FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Two days after residents teamed up with neighbors to get out of their flooded homes in Broward County, many are still dealing with water issues.
Local 10 News was in Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewater neighborhood where homeowners were ankle-deep from what the National Weather Service called a “1 in 1,000-year flood.”
The water that started pouring during Wednesday’s deluge also invaded homes and cars in the Melrose Park neighborhood.
“I have lived here since 1987 and it has never been like this,” said Yolanda Spence, a Melrose Park resident. “I was in tears this morning when I got up.”
Dylan Loller, whose house flooded in Fort Lauderdale, told Local 10 News that many older people that live in the area weren’t able to get out of their homes.
“It’s an older community. It’s people that have lived there for a long time and we’ll be the first ones to tell you that they’ve never seen anything like this and that’s why a lot of them didn’t get out,” said Loller.
In the Lauder Lakes Mobile Home Community, conditions inside flooded homes are starting to break down.
“The smell of the mildew--I had to get out of there,” said one man.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said authorities on all levels are working to move the water that started soaking Broward County Wednesday using low tide combined with vacuum trucks and pumps.
“We will not be able to get into the communities at a really effective rate until we can get that water displaced,” he said.
First responders still working around the clock to alleviate the water damage.
“They are working on the door-to-door, street-to-street with their swamp buggies and their high-water vehicles to make sure that we’re getting residents out of their homes,” Guthrie said.
“The water may not be over your head but it’s up to your knees and there’s still damage,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “We saw pictures of people’s furniture floating in their living rooms and their kitchen so we’re going to do our best to combine our efforts to see how we can help these folks and get them back to their homes.”
COMPLETE COVERAGE: Flooding emergency in areas of Broward