He United States National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood alert for the Miami-Dade and Broward counties, which will continue throughout the night of this Friday, June 14. These conditions are due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast for today.
Since Tuesday the 11th, persistent rains have caused streets to turn into canals and have forced some residents to seek shelter on the roofs of their cars or wade through waist-deep waters. According to the National Weather Service, several areas of South Florida have seen rainfall ranging from 8 to 14 inches (203 to 356 millimeters), with some isolated areas receiving up to 20 inches (508 millimeters).
Cities with the highest chance of rain today include Homestead (96%), Flamingo (95%), Everglades City (95%), Miami (89%), Fort Lauderdale (80%) and Naples (82%). Although the tropical moisture fueling these storms is expected to begin slowly moving out of the area, officials warn that high rainfall could continue until 8 p.m.
Given this situation, the Florida Governor Ron DeSantisdeclared a state of emergency for the counties of Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota. Additionally, authorities urge residents to stay home and avoid moving through flooded areas. “Heavy or excessive rainfall will continue to cause flooding, with locally significant flash and urban flooding possible through Friday in the southern Florida panhandle,” the National Weather Service said.
The impact of these storms is already evident. Since Tuesday the 11th, numerous streets have become impassable, causing several drivers to be stranded and forcing the closure of schools in the most affected counties, and thousands of flights were canceled, including Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Heavy rains, coming from a mass of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and parts of the Caribbean, have caused metropolitan areas such as Miami and its surroundings remain underwater.
Michael Kanechief of the fire and rescue battalion of the County Sheriff’s Office Browardsaid to cnn that It has been necessary to use boats to rescue people who were in critical situations. “We had to use our boats to rescue people who were standing on the roofs of cars,” Kane stressed. From Hallandale Beach, just north of Miami, 175 calls for help were received.
Gulf moisture continues to influence southern Florida, where the flood threat remains at level 2 of 4 until Friday. However, a gradual improvement in weather is expected for the weekend, as reported by the N.W.S..
Aerial images released by various media have shown entire communities underwater, and neighborhood residents Edgewoodas Anna Rysedorph, they were preparing for the worst due to the imminent worsening of conditions. “I brought the dogs in and everything was already packed. I pretty much have everything in the containers and we are ready to go,” Rysedorph told CNN.
A young resident of 11 years, Somaya Ferdinandpointed to WSVN while wading through thigh-deep water outside his home in northeast Miami-Dade: “I’m afraid”. Comparisons with previous catastrophic events are present. Many South Floridians had just finished repairing their homes after the devastating April 2023 floods, only to find their properties affected again this week.
The meteorologists They issued an urgent warning to Floridians to prepare for floods additional sudden events, according to information shared by the agency AP. This is due to a tropical disturbance that has produced about 508 millimeters of rain in several parts of the south of the state. Conditions could worsen significantly by this Friday.
The disorganized storm system that affected the region It began its passage from the Gulf of Mexico just at the beginning of the hurricane season, which began in early June. This season is expected to be one of the most active in recent times, with studies suggesting that the climate change The strength of the storms is intensifying.
The National Weather Service warned that even smaller amounts of precipitation could affect already saturated areas, causing Flash floods before the region has a chance to recover.
Residents continued to remove debris and drawing water from their properties. Daniela Urrieche26 years old, told WSVN that in the nine years he has lived in the area, this has been the worst flood. “Even during a hurricane, the streets weren’t as bad as they were in the last 24 hours,” she said. Hallandale Beach resident Charlea Johnson spent Wednesday night evacuating water from her home. “The water started flooding both the back and the front,” Ella Johnson said.
Authorities continue to monitor weather conditions and ask citizens to stay informed and take extra precautions. As heavy rain continues over Miami and other areas of South Florida, concerns about further flooding and possible property damage continue to grow. The situation is being closely reviewed, in the hope of minimizing any further damage that another wave of flooding may cause.
