A person pushes a stalled car through a flooded street in Dania Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Heavy rains slamming South Florida flooded cars and buildings including Fort Lauderdale Airport, halting flights for several hours, as well over a foot of rainfall was reported in some areas on Wednesday.
Threat level: The National Weather Service in Miami issued a flash flood emergency for areas near Hollywood, Dania Beach and Fort Lauderdale and warned: "This is a life threatening situation."
- Local meteorologist Jeff Berardelli reported Wednesday evening that a potentially historic 20 inches of rain had fallen in 12 hours in Fort Lauderdale, as the NWS said significant flash flooding was ongoing in and around the area and an 2-5" of rainfall was expected over the next several hours.
- Such an extreme rainfall event over a localized, highly populated area is a recipe for major economic losses and potentially some loss of life.
Between the lines: Many factors are contributing to this event during Florida's dry season, including the broad area of low pressure over the Gulf and a stalled out frontal system.
- Studies have shown that extreme precipitation events are becoming more common and more severe throughout the U.S. and around the world.
- Planners that designed infrastructure to withstand a 100-year flood 20 years ago are now facing the reality that such floods are occurring more frequently as the climate warms and the amount of moisture available to storms increases.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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