A storm that dropped 25 inches of rain over some coastal areas, flooding houses and highways, and forcing the closure of a major airport left South Florida under siege and under water on Thursday.

Storm dumps 25 inches of rain on Fort Lauderdale, “once in 1,000–2,000 years.” Constant updates

A storm that dropped 25 inches of rain over some coastal areas, flooding houses and highways, and forcing the closure of a major airport left South Florida under siege and under water on Thursday.

According to AccuWeather, 25.95 inches of rain fell over Fort Lauderdale in a 24-hour period. In just six hours, 20 inches of rain fell in some places. The rain total in Hollywood and South Miami was at least nine inches.

Dan DePodwin, director of forecast operations at AccuWeather, told USA TODAY that the amount and rate of rain should only occur once every 1,000 to 2,000 years.

According to the National Weather Service, a flood watch was in place for a significant portion of South Florida through Thursday night.

I-95, the state’s primary north-south thoroughfare, was partially under water for several hours. Stephen Gollan, the fire chief for the 180,000-person city of Fort Lauderdale, issued a warning about “severe flooding in multiple areas”.

Stephen Gollan, the fire chief for Fort Lauderdale, urged people to avoid the roads until some of the water had subsided. “Cars are becoming stuck in the floodwaters, (adding to) the emergencies that are occurring.”

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According to officials, the Red Cross was setting up a staging area to serve residents whose homes had flooded by giving them blankets and coffee.

A virtual river could be seen running down the tarmac between planes and water coming in through the door of an airport building in video from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Flooding and rain in Fort Lauderdale are “life threatening,” and tornadoes are possible.

According to DePodwin, Fort Lauderdale’s one-day rainfall total is approximately 40% of the average for the entire year. As the likelihood of thunderstorms in the area persisted into Thursday, the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for Fort Lauderdale and surrounding locations, stating: “This is a life-threatening situation. Now, look for higher ground.

According to the meteorological service, there was a chance of heavy rain late on Thursday, particularly over the Miami Dade and Broward counties’ metro areas. This might cause flooding, particularly in areas that are already saturated from recent heavy rain. It was anticipated that scattered thunderstorms would last throughout Thursday night, some of which would be severe, bringing quarter-sized hail and destructive winds. Forecasters warned that a few short tornadoes were possible.

‘Unprecedented downpour’ caused Fort Lauderdale airport to close.

All flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were cancelled beginning on Wednesday in the afternoon and continuing at least through Thursday at 5 p.m. If the situation does not worsen, airport officials said they aimed to resume limited operations on one runway. Accessibility was also a problem because the airport’s roads were blocked by flooding. The airport was closed, and passengers were advised not to try to enter or exit. Through early Thursday, more than 640 flights were cancelled.

“While stalled vehicles are being removed from the upper/lower levels, the main exit artery remains flooded & congested with slow-moving traffic,” the airport said in a statement early Thursday. “We ask for your patience as we wait to safely assess the impacts of this unprecedented rainfall to restore airport operations when it is safe.”

Schools in Broward County are closed

Due to the weather emergency, Broward County closed all of its more than 300 public schools. The decision was made, according to the school, out of “overabundance of caution,” with the safety and wellbeing of the kids and staff coming first. Some schools had major flooding, according to Toni Barnes, director of emergency management for Broward Schools, who spoke to WPLG-TV.

Barnes claimed that “the water found its way into the corridors, into the classrooms.” Because our parents were locked in their cars, we had to call fire rescue to help them escape and enter the school.

extreme flooding risk that might reach the Carolinas

Accuweather issued a warning that winds and thunderstorm activity were intensifying over the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico. Parts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas were expected to experience the dangers into Friday night.

Forecasters had issued a warning late last week that the developing storm system might end up being the first April tropical storm to be recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. The potential for a tropical storm to form has diminished, according to AccuWeather, which also issued a warning for thunderstorms, strong winds, and heavy rain.