Severe flooding hits Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas after 10 to 14 inches of rainfall Wednesday

CNN

Significant downpours inundated Fort Lauderdale, and other parts of South Florida on Wednesday night. This led to a Flash Flood Emergency in Broward County. One mayor called the deluge 'the most severe flooding I've seen.

Heavy thunderstorms are moving slowly through the area and could bring in an additional 2 to 4 inches of rainfall.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue posted on Facebook that the city is experiencing flooding in several areas. They warned people to avoid the roads because vehicles could become submerged or stuck.

According to the National Weather Service, Miami, Wednesday night, a flash flood emergency was declared for parts of South Florida including Fort Lauderdale. This is the highest flood warning level from the National Weather Service.

The NWS warned: 'This is an eSPECIALLY DANGEROUS situation.' "Move immediately to higher ground!" warned the NWS. This is a dangerous situation that could be fatal. You should not travel unless there is an evacuation or flood warning.

Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy said on CNN that city crews were doing all they could to keep drains free and deploy pumps where possible.

Levy stated that 'we've recorded more than 12 inches of rainfall since midnight. This is on top of consecutive seemingly nonstop days of rain'. The ground was already saturated, so flooding is widespread in our city and South Florida. There are many impassable roads. Many vehicles are stuck in the middle and abandoned on our roads.

I've lived in this area my entire life. He said, 'This is the worst flooding I've seen in my life.

Residents are asked to avoid driving in Fort Lauderdale or travelling this evening.

In a Wednesday evening news release, the city of Fort Lauderdale stated that 'Police and Fire Rescue are continuing to respond to calls for service'. Public Works staff is clearing drains and running pumps as quickly as they can to reduce the water. Traffic congestion has been reduced by prioritizing traffic signals to help individuals leave the city. We ask drivers to avoid Fort Lauderdale and stay off the road until the floodwaters subside.

The city reported that the flooding had a negative impact on rush hour traffic, and caused the tunnel to be closed.

The Henry E. Kinney Tunnel has been closed. Please avoid this area. The city stated that the weather conditions and rush hour traffic in downtown are causing problems.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has been closed because of flooding.