Owais Crawford
Fort Lauderdale Airport in Florida was shut down in April 2023 due to flash flooding. The flooding was caused by a storm that dumped more than 2 feet of rain, with 25.91 inches of rain falling at the airport in a 24-hour period. This led to the airport being closed until Friday morning as workers dealt with flooding and debris. The airport has also experienced flooding in June 2024 due to a tropical disturbance that produced rainfall rates of 4-6 inches per hour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 13 April 2023 |
| Cause of flooding | Intense storm, heavy rainfall |
| Amount of rainfall | 25.91 inches in 24 hours |
| Previous record | 14.59 inches |
| Reopening date | 14 April 2023 |
| Reopening time | 9 a.m. |
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What You'll Learn
The airport closed due to flash flooding
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was forced to close due to flash flooding. The airport was shut down on Wednesday evening, with footage showing water rushing into terminal buildings and across runways. The flooding was the result of a storm that brought over two feet of rain to the area in a matter of hours—an amount of rainfall that would usually take weeks to accumulate.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that, in a 24-hour period, 25.91 inches of rain fell at the airport, breaking previous records. The flash flooding led to the closure of the airport until Friday morning, as staff worked to cope with the flooding and clear debris. The airport advised people not to travel to the airport without first checking their flight status.
The closure of the airport had a significant impact on travel plans, with airlines cancelling more than 650 flights. The airport is a key transit point for passengers from nearby cruise terminals, and the disruption came just ahead of a popular music festival in the area. The flooding also affected the surrounding area, with roads and train lines becoming impassable.
The flash flooding was not an isolated incident. South Florida has experienced historic rainfall, with the National Weather Service declaring a flash flood emergency for the region on Wednesday night. The intense rainfall has been attributed to a tropical disturbance capable of producing rainfall rates of 4-6 inches per hour. This has led to repeated instances of flooding at the airport and surrounding communities.
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Intense storms overwhelmed the airport's airfields and roads
Intense storms overwhelmed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport's airfields and roads in April 2023. The airport was forced to shut down operations on Wednesday afternoon due to flash flooding and tornado warnings. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that 25.91 inches of rain fell at the airport in a 24-hour period, breaking previous records. This extreme weather event caused significant disruptions to travel, with the airport closing until Friday morning to cope with the flooding and debris.
Videos and images captured by witnesses showed water rushing into airport terminals and tarmac, with taxiways and roads around the terminals resembling lakes. The flooding was severe enough to halt all airport operations, affecting thousands of passengers and causing the cancellation of over 650 flights. The airport worked to restore partial operations on one runway, but only if conditions did not worsen.
The intense storms and subsequent flooding extended beyond the airport, impacting nearby areas such as Hollywood and Dania Beach in South Florida. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for these regions, and tornado warnings were also in effect. The impact of the flooding was widespread, with cars submerged on flooded streets and nearly 6,000 customers left without electricity.
The clean-up and recovery efforts continued even after the airport reopened. While operations slowly returned to normal, the prolonged closure caused ripple effects on springtime travel plans. The airport serves as a key transit point for passengers from nearby cruise terminals, further complicating travel logistics in the region. The storm and flooding highlighted the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events in the region, underscoring the challenges posed by a changing climate.
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The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency
On April 13, 2023, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the surrounding areas of Hollywood and Dania Beach. This came after a tropical disturbance that produced rainfall rates of 4-6 inches per hour, causing significant flooding in communities in Broward and Miami-Dade. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was particularly affected, with taxiways and roads around terminals resembling lakes. The airport was forced to shut down operations, and a tornado warning was issued for nearby areas.
The flash flooding at the airport was a result of the intense rainfall, with records indicating that 25.91 inches of rain fell at the airport in a 24-hour period. This unprecedented amount of rain far surpassed the previous record of 14.59 inches. The flooding disrupted travel plans, as the airport is a key transit point for passengers from nearby cruise terminals.
Videos and images from the scene showed water rushing into airport terminals and a virtual river flowing down the tarmac between planes. The flooding also impacted roads and nearby neighbourhoods, with cars seen driving through deep floodwaters. In some areas, the floodwaters were nearly level with the hoods of cars. Despite the severity of the flooding, there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
The National Weather Service's Flash Flood Emergency declaration highlighted the urgency of the situation, as federal weather forecasts rarely use exclamation marks. The declaration served as a warning to the public and prompted authorities to urge people to stay off the roads. The airport remained closed until Friday morning, as workers struggled to restore partial operations on one runway.
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Fort Lauderdale experienced record-breaking rainfall
On April 13, 2023, Fort Lauderdale experienced record-breaking rainfall, with the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Miami reporting 25.91 inches of rain at the Fort Lauderdale airport in a 24-hour period. This unprecedented amount of precipitation far surpassed the previous record of 14.59 inches, causing significant disruptions and challenges for the city and its residents.
The impact of the rainfall was widespread, leading to the closure of Fort Lauderdale Airport, located just a few miles from the coast, until Friday morning. The airport's runways and taxiways were inundated, and stranded travellers sought refuge in the upper-level roadway. The airport serves as a key transit point for passengers from nearby cruise terminals, and its closure had a ripple effect on spring travel plans, with airlines cancelling more than 650 flights.
The deluge also affected the wider area, with flooded streets and homes in Hollywood, Florida, and the National Weather Service issuing a flash flood emergency for the region. Intense rainfall transformed streets into rushing rivers, with floodwaters nearly reaching the hoods of cars. Social media posts from locals captured the severity of the situation, with videos of flooded homes and water rushing into an airport terminal. The downpour was so intense that a mailbox was spotted barely peeking above the floodwaters.
The clean-up and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the record-breaking rainfall were challenging. Residents in the Edgewood neighbourhood, located in Fort Lauderdale, dealt with water levels that were up to two feet deep even a day after the rainfall. The flooding caused power outages, affecting nearly 6,000 customers in Florida on Thursday morning, impacting the use of essential appliances like air conditioning, microwaves, and refrigerators. Despite the challenges, the resilient spirit of the community shone through, with residents like Hayden Wooster stepping up to help their neighbours evacuate and providing assistance to those with medical needs.
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The airport reopened after final inspections
Fort Lauderdale Airport was shut down on Wednesday, April 13, 2023, due to flash flooding and tornado warnings. The airport, officially known as Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, experienced record-breaking rainfall, with 25.91 inches of rain falling in a 24-hour period. This led to the airport's closure until at least Friday morning as the facility dealt with flooding and debris.
During the closure, airport workers struggled to restore operations on at least one runway, but they had to monitor the conditions to ensure they didn't worsen. The airport also opened its upper-level roadway to allow stranded travelers to leave the premises. The flooding not only impacted the airport but also disrupted the travel plans of many passengers, especially those using the airport as a transit point to the cruise terminals at Port Everglades.
By Friday, April 14, 2023, the airport officials had completed their final inspections, and the airport resumed operations at 9 a.m. that day. While the airport was able to reopen, the situation was still affecting some passengers due to the extended closure. The resumption of operations allowed for a gradual return to normalcy, but it took time to fully recover from the impact of the storm and the resulting flooding.
The reopening of the airport provided some relief to those impacted by the flooding in the region. The storm and the subsequent flooding caused significant disruptions, with nearly 6,000 customers in Florida without electricity on Thursday morning, according to poweroutage.us. The flooding also affected residents in nearby areas, with some requiring assistance to evacuate their homes. The airport's reopening marked a step toward recovery, allowing for easier access to the region and facilitating the transportation of resources and aid to those in need.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was flooded in April 2023 after a storm dumped more than 2 feet of rain in the area. The airport was shut down on Wednesday evening and remained closed until Friday morning.
The flooding caused the cancellation of flights and disrupted travel plans for passengers using the airport as a key transit point. The airport worked to restore partial operations on one runway and advised people to check their flight status before coming to the airport.
Yes, in June 2024, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport experienced flooding again due to a tropical disturbance that produced rainfall rates of 4-6 inches per hour. This led to the National Weather Service issuing a Flash Flood Emergency.
