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MIAMI.- The heavy rains caused major flooding in south florida for the third consecutive day and threaten to be more destructive after this Wednesday’s storms transformed streets into canals and even entered homes. The authorities warned that The situation could worsen at the end of this week, as more heavy rain is expected which could lead to additional flooding and further damage in the region.
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantisdeclared an emergency for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties after dangerous flooding immobilized critical infrastructure operations, including major interstates, highways, schools and airports.
There are flood warnings in cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Naples, where between 10 and 13 centimeters of rain fell across the region on Wednesday. These alerts They are in force for more than 8 million people throughout the regionand some alerts in the Miami metropolitan area will last until Friday.
Wednesday’s downpours and subsequent flooding blocked highways, floated vehicles and delayed the Florida Panthers’ trip to play in Stanley Cup games in Canada against the Edmonton Oilers.
The storm system was moving through Florida from the Gulf of Mexico around the beginning of hurricane season in June, which this year is expected to be among the most active in recent memory, amid concerns that climate change is worsening the intensity of the storms.
The meteor was not yet a cyclone and was unlikely to form a tropical system once entered the Atlantic Ocean after crossing Floridaaccording to the National Hurricane Center.
It was expected that a band of heavy rain will pass over the region for the third day in a row, as indicated on Thursday morning by the Miami delegation of the National Meteorological Service in a publication on the X social network.
“Even intense rains of short duration could cause more flooding “Sudden!” indicated the publication.
Many streets were still flooded. On the important highway Interstate 95, in Broward County, Southbound traffic was diverted around a flooded stretch and road contractors were on the road to pump out water.The Florida Highway Patrol said in an email. The interstate would not reopen until the water had been drained, the agency added.
The weather service office in Miami issued increasingly severe warnings.
“Life-threatening floods are occurring“, indicated the service on the social network X. “Please stay off the roads and go to higher ground.”
The mayors in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood They declared a state of emergency in their towns on Wednesday afternoon. Later on Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency in five counties: Broward and Miami-Dade, on the state’s Atlantic coast, and Collier, Lee and Sarasota on the western coast.
Miami-Dade County Councilwoman Daniella Levine Cava also issued a local emergency declaration.
In nearby Hollywood, Mike Viesel He was driving home Wednesday afternoon with his dog Humi when he found himself in a flooded area on a low-lying street, he told the Miami Herald.
As he braked and stopped, Viesel saw other cars pass him and dump even more water on his vehicle. His engine stopped.
“I would have walked out of the car,” he told the Herald, but his dog “He has a problem with water.”
In Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, the lobby of the building Alfredo Rodríguez moved into a year ago already had puddles of water on Wednesday morning. He told the Herald the building has flooded five times since he moved in.
Dozens of flights were canceled or delayed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The NHL’s Florida Panthers left more than three hours late for their nearly six-hour flight to Edmonton for games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup final.
Further north, the National Weather Service in Melbourne confirmed that an EF-1 tornado had hit Hobe Sound, on Florida’s Atlantic coast, north of West Palm Beach, on Wednesday morning.
The wind knocked down several trees and caused damage to a store, according to Martin County fire officials. No injuries were reported, although access to wealthy Jupiter Island was cut off by road debris.
It has already been a wet and windy week in Florida, especially in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas. About 15 centimeters of rain fell in Miami on Tuesday and 17 centimeters in Miami Beach, according to the National Weather Service. Hollywood, south of Fort Lauderdale, received about 12 centimeters.
More rain was forecast for the rest of the week, prompting the weather service office in Miami to extend a flash flood watch until Thursday.
The west of the state, which has largely suffered from a prolonged drought, also received significant rainfall. In Sarasota, about 16.5 centimeters of rain fell Tuesday at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, according to the weather service, and there were flash flood warnings for those areas as well.
AP and AFP Agencies
THE NATION
