On June 12, a tropical depression brought unusually heavy rains to much of South Florida. The region received between 3 and 8 inches of rain. In some areas, such as Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, and Aventura, between 10 and 15 inches of rainfall were recorded on Wednesday. There were also reports of an incredible 25 inches of rain in the Miami metro area.
Since the ground was already saturated with water accumulated from previous rainy days, the new rainfall caused rapid local flooding.
A state of emergency was declared in several counties. Residents were urged to stay home and avoid roads not to endanger their lives. Cars were getting stuck on flooded roads. Traffic on the main Interstate 95 highway in Broward County was redirected due to a flooded section.
In South Florida, passenger rail service was also disrupted as floodwaters inundated parts of the tracks. The hazardous conditions also led to the closure and cancellation of hundreds of flights at the Miami, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale international airports.
The rains resulted in numerous calls to fire and rescue services related to downed power lines, flooded vehicles, and water intrusion into homes and businesses.
The National Weather Service issued a rare flash flood emergency due to “life-threatening flooding”. The last time such a warning was issued was in April 2023.
Residents who are still recovering from last year’s devastating flood are in despair. One of them noted that the current amount of rain is very similar to what he saw during the April 2023 storm. Last year’s flood caused enormous damage to the region. It was called the event of the century, meaning it should happen no more than once in a hundred years. But just a year has passed, and the once-in-a-century flood has repeated.
Similar events are happening all over the world: countries are being hit by catastrophes that were previously extremely rare or never happened at all.
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