• Maria Matheus

Fort Lauderdale faces flash floods due to record rains

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (April 13, 2023) — On Wednesday, Fort Lauderdale experienced the wettest day in its history, triggering a flash flood emergency in Broward County that caused rescues, cars to be abandoned, schools to be closed and the airport to be closed until Friday 5:00 A.M. More rain is on the way.

According to preliminary data from Miami's National Weather Service office, more than a foot of rain fell in the region in 24 hours, with 25.91 inches recorded in Fort Lauderdale.

Heavy and consistent rainfall can overwhelm drainage systems and cause flooding in low-lying areas. As a result, the City of Fort Lauderdale has activated its emergency procedures to ensure public safety and minimize the impact of flooding. The Salvation Army of Broward County led by Incident Commander Major Stephen Long is on standby to assist the county emergency operations center. Units from the Miami and Palm Beach Area Commands are on standby to assist throughout the weekend.

In total six units, three rapid response units and three full-size units, are ready to deploy.

The Florida Division’s Emergency Disaster Services Department has deployed a representative to support operations. The EDS department will be delivering a truck load of cleanup kits (flood buckets) Friday morning, to be distributed in the community.

To make a financial gift to support Fort Lauderdale flood relief efforts:

• Donate online: www.HelpSalvationArmy.org.
• Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)
• Text-To-Donate: Text STORM to 51555 to donate to help disaster relief efforts.
• Current media releases, updates, and information - www.disaster.salvationarm.org

One hundred percent of designated disaster donations go to direct services for survivors and first responders.