Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (NewsNation) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for Broward County after heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flooding.
More than two feet of rain fell in Fort Lauderdale, causing widespread flooding and the closure of the city’s airport.
More than 25 inches of rain has fallen across the area since Wednesday, and the National Weather Service said another two to four inches were possible as a warm front continues to push northward, with a chance of thunderstorms.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Fort Lauderdale and other areas which will run into pre-dawn hours Thursday as the chance of thunderstorms continued across the region, warning: “This is a life-threatening situation. Seek higher ground now!”
More than 11,000 Florida customers are without electricity Thursday, according to poweroutage.us.
All Broward County Public Schools, including after-school and extracurricular activities, are closed Thursday, the district tweeted.
At around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Fort Lauderdale International announced it shut down ground transportation shuttle service in response to recurring tornado warnings and ongoing heavy rainfall. The main roadways entering and exiting the airport were flooded and impassable, the airport said around 5:15 p.m.
Some flyers said they spend eight hours stuck in the airport. Others said they spent hours waiting to get their luggage.
At least 160 flights are canceled and 31 are delayed Thursday at the airport, according to FlightAware.
The airport expects to remain closed until 12 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, some had a little fun with all the water. On Broward Boulevard, a man was seen swimming to the curb on the flooded street at rush hour as cars rolled by.
There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.