Wikipedia

2023 Fort Lauderdale floods

A historic flash flood event occurred inFort Lauderdale, Florida,and the surrounding areas on April 12, 2023. The Fort Lauderdale area reported 25.6 inches (650 mm) of rain within approximately 12 hours.[2][3][4]21.42 in (544 mm) of rain fell in nearbyDania Beach.Other affected areas, such asHollywoodandSouth Miami,recorded at least 9 in (230 mm) of rain.[5]Fort Lauderdale mayorDean Trantalisissued astate of emergencydue to the flooding.[6][7][8]

2023 Fort Lauderdale floods
Map of heavy rainfall totals over South Florida
The storm system responsible for the floods in Fort Lauderdale from April 12 through April 13, 2023
Meteorological history
Duration12 – 13 April 2023
Flood
Maximum rainfall25.91 inches (658 mm)
Overall effects
FatalitiesNone
Damage$1.1 billion (2023 USD)[1]
Areas affectedFort Lauderdale,Dania Beach,HollywoodandSouth MiamiinFlorida

Meteorological background

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The flooding rainfall in easternBroward County, Florida,spanning from the midday hours of April 12 to roughly midnight on April 13, was supported by the combination of aweather frontthat was moving slowly throughSouth Florida,and an intensifyingarea of low pressurein theGulf of Mexico.[9]TheWeather Prediction Center(WPC) wrote in its Excessive Rainfall Discussion, that was issued on April 10, that, "...it anticipated that atmospheric conditions supportive of flash flooding in theFlorida peninsulawould persist into April 12, highlighting a "Marginal Risk" of flash flooding for urban areas along the coast ofsoutheastern Florida... ". The WPC later upgraded the risk to a" Slight Risk ", as the confidence increased in the potential for flash flooding, exacerbated by heavy antecedent rainfall on April 11.[10]A flood watch was issued for southeastern Florida during this time.[11]Rainfall spread acrosssouth central Florida,throughout the morning of April 12. This was happening in advance of a slow, northward-progressingwarm front.The local atmospheric environment was conducive to heavier precipitation rates, bearingprecipitable wateramounts near the climatological maxima for the region (approximately 1.7–1.9 in (43–48 mm)). Heavier showers and thunderstorms embedded in the largelystratiformrains grew during the morning.[12]The combination of the morning rainfall and rain from preceding days saturated the soils inBrowardandMiami-Dadecounties to the point that only 1.5–2.0 in (38–51 mm) of rain would need to fall in an hour to produce flash flooding according toflash flood guidance.[13]

Graphic published by theWeather Prediction Centerhighlighting the storms onweather radar

The moist conditions persisted into the afternoon and evening, enabling the highly efficient production of rainfall in the storms as the warm front progressed north ofKey Largoand into theMiamiarea. By around 5:30 p.m.EDT,2–6 in (51–152 mm) of rain had fallen across theMiami metropolitan area.[14]During the evening hours, stationary thunderstorms caused torrential rainfall overFort Lauderdale,fueled by the locally moist atmosphere and a persistentinflowdrawing moisture from the Atlantic towards the Florida coast.[15]National Weather Service Miami, Florida,issued aflash flood emergencyat 7:58 p.m. EDT for Fort Lauderdale andHollywoodhighlighting the potential for 2–4 in (51–102 mm) of additional rainfall atop the 10–12 in (250–300 mm) of rain that had already fallen.[16]The cluster of storms began to weaken by around 11:00 p.m. EDT after dropping 10–20 in (250–510 mm) of rain in the Fort Lauderdale area.[17]The day's storms also produced two brieftornadoesin Broward County, each producingEF0-rated damage; the first one touched down nearWest Hollywoodat 3:26 p.m. EDT while the second touched down nearDania Beachat 9:41 p.m. EDT. The combination ofwind shear,interaction between the warm front and the coast, and enhancedconvectionandvorticityresulting from the aggregation of thunderstorms may have produced conducive conditions for the development of tornadoes.[18]

Impact

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Total precipitation of affected areas
from April 12, 2023[19]
State Location Amount
Florida Fort Lauderdale 25.91 inches (65.8 cm)
Florida Hollywood 18.16 inches (46.1 cm)
Florida Dania Beach 17.30 inches (43.9 cm)
Florida Plantation 15.06 inches (38.3 cm)
Florida Coconut Grove 13.15 inches (33.4 cm)

Over 20 in (510 mm) of rain fell onFort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.[9]The 25.91 in (658 mm) of rain measured at the airport was the most ever observed in Fort Lauderdale in a single day, eclipsing the previous record of 14.59 in (371 mm) set on April 25, 1979.[20][21]The daily total was roughly equivalent to a third of the city's annual rainfall and seven times the typical April total, exceeding the 19.47 in (495 mm) of rain that fell in April 1979, Fort Lauderdale's previous wettest April on record. To the south of the city, a nearby swath of rainfall totals between 15–20 in (380–510 mm) spanned from Hollywood to Dania Beach.[9]During the most intense rainfall on the evening of April 12, rainfall rates exceeded 3–4 in (76–102 mm) per hour, comparable to the average April rainfall total;[20][22]the extreme rainfall rates were at the level of a1-in-1000 year event.[20]Rainfall amounts tapered to the south, with totals of 3–5 in (76–127 mm) in Miami proper,[20]though Miami'sCoconut Groveneighborhood saw over 13 in (330 mm) of rain between April 12 and April 13.[23]Floodwater depths exceeded 3 ft (0.91 m) near Floyd Hull Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.[24]The flood inundation near and north of downtown Fort Lauderdale reached depths of 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m).[9]

The National Weather Service's preliminary 24-hour estimated rainfall and observed precipitation for April 12, 2023

Over 900 calls were received by theFort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Departmentduring the storm, with theBroward County Sheriff's Officeassisting in roughly 300 of those calls.[22]Streets in Fort Lauderdale remained impassable on April 13 due to slow flood drainage.[21]Several exits alongI-95were closed byFlorida Highway Patrol,along with a tunnel closure in Fort Lauderdale.[22][4]Schools were closed in Broward County on April 13 as a result of the flood.[21]The County later extended the closure until Monday, April 17 after announcing at least $2 million in damages to its schools acrossFort Lauderdale,Dania Beach,Hollywood,Hallandale Beach,andOakland Park.[25][26]The Fort Lauderdale City Hall was also closed.[27]Hundreds of cars were reported stranded in floodwaters.[25]The roof of a shopping center in Fort Lauderdale collapsed during the storm.[28]A weak EF0 tornado caused minimal tree damage inWest Hollywoodwhile a high-end EF0 tornado in Dania Beach damaged trees and a mobile home park.[23]Brightlinetrains were suspended from Fort Lauderdale toMiami.[29]There were two lightning delays atMiami International Airporton April 13.[30]A parking lot atFlorida International Universitywas flooded.[31]There were more than 22,000 power outages.[32]

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

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After 25.91 in (658 mm) of rain at the airport on April 12, debris and floodwaters inundated the runways and prompted the temporary closure of Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport. The airport closed from just after 4 p.m. EDT on April 12[33]until April 14 at 9 a.m. EDT.[34]Passengers were instructed not to attempt to enter or leave the airport due to flooded roadways.[25]At least 1,119 flights were cancelled due to the flooding, including 207 on April 12, 659 on April 13, and 253 on April 14, affecting 64,000 passengers.[35]

Rescue efforts

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Prior to the storm landing in Florida, many services such asAmerican Red Crossopened shelters in area such as Holiday Park for those affected by the floods. Additionally, theFlorida Division of Emergency Management(FEDM) and Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue Department deployed staff to the affected areas.[6]Due to high waters blocking streets, rescue craft and aquatic vehicles where employed to rescue survivors.[36]About 600 residents took shelter in Holiday Park. Some residents in the Edgewood neighborhood of southwest Fort Lauderdale required water rescues, with one resident reporting nearly 3 ft (0.91 m) of water in their home. A local towing company reported receiving nearly 500 calls for service through April 13.[23]Two firefighters were slightly injured by electricity in standing floodwaters during search and rescue operations.[37]Crews in Fort Lauderdale worked to clear drains and deploy pumps.[38]

Aftermath

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Gas shortages

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Following the storm, Port Everglades, which handles 40% of Florida's gasoline distribution across 12 counties, announced that the flooding had disrupted operations. By April 14, two days after the storm had passed, many gas stations in South Florida had run out of pre-storm supplies, and long lines had started to form at the few that remained open. By April 18, many remained closed because of panic sales and a shortage of truck drivers, and the FEDM announced that 500,000 gallons of emergency fuel would be arriving by April 19. Customers reported wait times over 30 minutes and lines as long as 70 cars at stations nearly a week after the storm.[39]On April 28,U.S. PresidentJoe Bidensigned a disaster declaration after Florida governorRon DeSantisrequested one on April 22.[40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024),NOAA
  2. ^"The NWS preliminary 24-hour rainfall totals across Southeast Florida are shown below. A stationary supercell thunderstorm centered near Fort Lauderdale produced prolonged periods 3+ inches of rain per hour! Many roadways in the area remain flooded. #TurnAroundDontDrown".Twitter.Weather Prediction Center.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  3. ^Ives, Mike; Hauser, Christine (April 13, 2023)."Fort Lauderdale Is Drenched With Up to Two Feet of Rain, Shutting Its Airport".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  4. ^ab"Historic rain in South Florida causes severe flooding, closing schools and Fort Lauderdale's airport".CNN. April 13, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  5. ^Bacon, John."25 inches of rain swamps South Florida; Fort Lauderdale flooding shuts down airport: Live updates".USA TODAY.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  6. ^ab"Fort Lauderdale declares state of emergency after historic rainfall, flooding".cbsnews.April 13, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  7. ^"Torrential downpours cause major flooding in South Florida".cbsnews.April 13, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  8. ^"Proclamation of local state of emergency".City of Fort Lauderdale.April 12, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 15,2023.
  9. ^abcdBaxter, Barry; Garcia, Robert; Molleda, Robert (April 13, 2023)."Survey of Flooding in Eastern Broward County".National Weather Service Raw Text Product(Public Information Statement). Miami, Florida: National Weather Service Miami, Florida.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023– via Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
  10. ^Wegman, Joe (April 11, 2023)."[Excessive Rainfall Discussion Issued 419 PM EDT Tue Apr 11 2023]".National Weather Service Raw Text Product.College Park, Maryland: Weather Prediction Center.Archivedfrom the original on April 11, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023– via Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
  11. ^"'Like the ocean was on Las Olas': South Florida under flood warning as historic rainfall ends ".Sun Sentinel.April 14, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 15,2023.
  12. ^Churchill, William (April 12, 2023)."Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 0178".WPC Met Watch.College Park, Maryland: Weather Prediction Center.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  13. ^"[Area Forecast Discussioned Issued at 957 AM EDT Wed Apr 12 2023]".National Weather Service Raw Text Product.Miami, Florida: National Weather Service Miami, Florida. April 12, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 12, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023– via Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
  14. ^Mullinax, Peter (April 12, 2023)."Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 0179".WPC Met Watch.College Park, Maryland: Weather Prediction Center.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  15. ^Mullinax, Peter (April 12, 2023)."Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 0180".WPC Met Watch.College Park, Maryland: Weather Prediction Center.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  16. ^"Flash Flood Emergency for Ft Lauderdale, Hollywood".National Weather Service Raw Text Product.Miami, Florida: National Weather Service Miami, Florida. April 12, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023– via Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
  17. ^Cook, Ashton (April 12, 2023)."Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 0181".WPC Met Watch.College Park, Maryland: Weather Prediction Center.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  18. ^"NWS Damage Survey for 04/12/2023 Tornadoes".National Weather Service Raw Text Product(Public Information Statement). Miami, Florida: National Weather Service Miami, Florida. April 23, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023– via Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
  19. ^"More than 25 inches of rain flood Fort Lauderdale, most within 6 hours".WPTV.April 13, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  20. ^abcdDance, Scott; Jeong, Andrew; Cappucci, Matthew (April 13, 2023)."Fort Lauderdale was inundated with a third of its annual rainfall within hours".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  21. ^abcIves, Mike; Hauser, Christine (April 13, 2023)."Fort Lauderdale Is Drenched With Up to Two Feet of Rain, Shutting Its Airport".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  22. ^abcEbrahimji, Alisa; Sutton, Joe; Caldwell, Travis; Gray, Jennifer (April 13, 2023)."Fort Lauderdale airport to remain closed until Friday morning after the rainiest day in the city's history causes severe flooding".CNN.Cable News Network.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  23. ^abc"'Like the ocean was on Las Olas': South Florida under flood warning as historic rainfall ends ".Sun Sentinel.April 14, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  24. ^Royal, Aya Elamroussi,Leyla Santiago,Denise (April 14, 2023)."Fort Lauderdale begins long recovery as floodwaters recede".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^abcOrtiz, John Bacon and Jorge L."'Once in every 1,000-2,000 years': Storm swamps Fort Lauderdale with 25 inches of rain. Live updates ".USA TODAY.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  26. ^Torres, Hatzel Vela, Andrea (April 13, 2023)."Broward public schools to remain closed Friday, reopen Monday amid flood assessment damage".WPLG.Archivedfrom the original on April 15, 2023.RetrievedApril 15,2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ^"Structures remain closed due to flooding after record rainfall hits Fort Lauderdale".April 14, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  28. ^Nbc 6 (April 13, 2023)."Roof Collapses at Business in Fort Lauderdale Amid Heavy Rainfall".NBC 6 South Florida.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^"Torrential storm batters South Florida, closes key airport".MarketWatch.Associated Press.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  30. ^NBC6 and Niko Clemmons (April 12, 2023)."'A Nightmare': Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport Closed Until Friday ".NBC 6 South Florida.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^"Severe weather leads to flash flood emergency in Broward, FLL closure, tornado warnings".April 12, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  32. ^"Torrential storms batter South Florida, close key airport".AP NEWS.April 13, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  33. ^Huberman, Dylan (April 13, 2023)."'Are you kidding me?' Travelers scrambling after flooding closes Fort Lauderdale Airport ".WPEC.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  34. ^"'Nature wasn't kind to us.' Fort Lauderdale airport to remain closed until at least Friday for massive water cleanup ".Sun Sentinel.April 14, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  35. ^Passy, Charles."Over 1,100 flights were canceled due to Fort Lauderdale storm this week".MarketWatch.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  36. ^Harris, Alex (April 13, 2023)."Chest-high water, boat rescues after 'unprecedented' rainfall in Fort Lauderdale area".The Miami Herald.p. 1.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 13,2023.
  37. ^"Severe flooding persists in Fort Lauderdale after another rainy night. Here is the latest".Yahoo News.April 14, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2023.RetrievedApril 14,2023.
  38. ^"Fort Lauderdale begins long recovery as floodwaters recede".kake.Archivedfrom the original on April 15, 2023.RetrievedApril 15,2023.
  39. ^"What's behind Miami's gas shortage and how long will it last?".Miami Herald.April 19, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2023.RetrievedApril 19,2023.
  40. ^Nbc6 • • (April 28, 2023)."Biden Administration Approves Disaster Declaration After Historic Fort Lauderdale Flooding".NBC 6 South Florida.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2023.RetrievedApril 28,2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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