Florida on Wednesday led to the first Flash Flood Emergency on record in Broward County, as the extent of the historic flooding in Fort Lauderdale was seen in drone video that showed numerous cars that had been submerged and destroyed by the rapidly rising water.According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, more than 25 inches of rain fell in the Fort Lauderdale area on Wednesday.
Once confirmed by the NWS, this event would set a new 24-hour statewide rain record.The previous record of 23.28 inches of rain in a 24-hour period was reported in Key West, Florida.Drone video recorded in Fort Lauderdale shows numerous cars left abandoned and submerged in the rapidly rising floodwaters along what would typically be a busy street.Streets and cars were underwater, buildings flooded, and travelers could not get in or out of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport and the rain is expected to continue on Thursday.
FOX Weather's Brandy Campbell reports.No one can be seen in the video, but the blinking hazard lights of the flooded cars give an eerie look to what is likely at least a 1-in-1000-year flooding event.According to FOX Weather meteorologist Ian Oliver, a 1-in-1,000-year flooding event doesn't mean it will be another 1,000 years before flooding of this magnitude will be experienced in Fort Lauderdale.
Instead, it means "one-tenth of 1% is the chance of that happening in any given year," Oliver added.The storm dropped a torrential amount of rain in South Florida Wednesday.