Several communities in southern Florida were inundated Wednesday by “life-threatening” flooding as heavy rains closed major roads, stranded vehicles and submerged streets, homes and parking lots.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida declared a state of emergency in several Florida counties including Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota. Flash flooding in major urban areas from Fort Lauderdale to downtown Miami left residents wading thorough knee-deep waters, and authorities warned people to stay off the roads.
The severe weather, which began Tuesday, was expected to continue bringing excessive rain to parts of the state into Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service.