Several major highways, such as Broward Boulevard and Federal Highway, were flooded, while others remain increasingly vulnerable to flash flooding. The affected areas, including the aforementioned Miami Gardens – where the debut of Zone C of the Copa América will take place – include Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miramar, Davie, Hallandale, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Dania Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Opa-locka, West Park, Ojus, Oak. Point, Miramar Parkway and University Drive, Estates Of Fort Lauderdale and Chambers Estates.
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Floods in Florida after heavy rains
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According to the National Weather Service, several areas of South Florida have seen rainfall ranging from 203 and 356 millimeters (8 to 14 inches)with some isolated areas having received up to 508 millimeters (20 inches).
The rains, which have been coming since the beginning of the week, have caused hundreds of people to file claims for water damage to their homes and cars.
Furthermore, the situation became so critical that the fire and rescue battalion of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office came out to declare that they had ”to use our boats to rescue people who were standing on the roofs of cars”. From Hallandale Beach, just north of Miami, 175 calls for help were received.
More than 600 flood-related auto claims filed
As of Friday morning, State Farm had received more than 600 auto claims in South Florida since Tuesday’s deluge began. The auto insurance company said the majority of claims it received in the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Palm Beach They are due to flood damage.
Claim count expected to rise as region hit by more weekend rain and more drivers “discover flood damage” in their cars and trucks.
Fort Lauderdale police told the outlet Friday Miami Herald that I had found around 65 abandoned vehicles due to flooding this week.
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Hundreds of People to File Claims for Water Damage to Their Homes and Cars
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In addition, many homes in the south of the state were damaged by the floods. Homeowners will take photos and contact their home insurance or the National Flood Insurance Program to file claims.
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, said Friday during a news conference in Hollywood that Broward County is unlikely to qualify for FEMA disaster assistance because there do not appear to be enough damaged homes. Based on visual inspections in hotspot areas, the city of Hollywood alone, for example, estimates that at least 100 homes were left with some type of water damage due to flooding.
The county needs about 1,000 homes with major damage to apply for help, according to Kevin Guthrie, director of the state’s emergency management division tasked with responding to disasters such as hurricanes and floods.
