Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is officially open for business once again, two days after a powerful storm caused it to shut down. The airport was closed from Wednesday evening until 9 a.m. Friday, resulting in the cancellation of over 650 flights. The storm also caused school cancellations and flooding in the area.
On Monday, South Florida experienced the start of a storm that would later dump over two feet of rain in a matter of hours. By Wednesday, the Fort Lauderdale area had seen record-breaking amounts of rainfall, ranging from 15 to 26 inches.
The water levels began receding on Friday, but some areas were still left with two feet of water. The hardest-hit neighborhoods were left with a mess to clean up. Residents of Edgewood, a neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, were still dealing with the effects of the storm on Friday morning.
Fortunately, no injuries or deaths were reported, but some were left stranded. Newlyweds Tatiana and Joseph Rodriguez were forced to prop up their bed on cinder blocks to keep it from getting wet. Another Fort Lauderdale resident, Sawyer Canale, was lucky enough to have his house spared because it sits on a small hill.
The Tortuga Music Festival, which was scheduled to start on Friday afternoon, was still happening despite the storm. However, many ticketholders were unable to attend due to the airport closure.
????#BREAKING: A Flash Flood Emergency has been Declared in Fort Lauderdale areas as 16+ Inches of Rain has fallen
????#FortLauderdale | #Florida ⁰
The national weather service has issued a flash flood emergency for the surrounding areas in Fort Lauderdale Florida. With estimates… pic.twitter.com/T6UiYzQTtM— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 13, 2023
Overall, the city of Fort Lauderdale is slowly returning to normal after the storm. The airport is now open and running, and residents are beginning the arduous task of cleaning up the mess left behind. The National Weather Service is still confirming total rainfall amounts, but it is clear that the area experienced an unprecedented and historic event.
