Flash Flood in Broward County, Florida

Torrential rainfall affected eastern sections of metro Broward County during the overnight hours of October 31st. Rainfall totals of 8 to 12 inches occurred over an area bounded by I-595 to the south and Pompano Beach to the north, from NW 31 Ave to the west all the way to the Atlantic coast. A few spots in this area likely received amounts close to 15 inches in about a 9-hour time span. These rains fell over areas already saturated from the rains of the previous two days. A total of 402 homes were affected by water damage and streets were closed due to inundation in Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors and Pompano Beach. The area hardest-hit was between Broward and Commercial Boulevards between I-95 and Federal Highway where water covered the ground up to a few feet.

The city of Fort Lauderdale opened a shelter for displaced residents in the hardest-hit areas. These areas qualified for federal assistance due to the magnitude and areal coverage of the flooding.

Damage amounts listed here are estimated by emergency managers taking into account total number of damaged properties and SBA loans.

A weak frontal boundary across South Florida in combination with a flow of deep tropical moisture from the western Caribbean Sea associated with the remnant of Hurricane Rina led to periods of very heavy rain and significant flooding lasting the better part of 4 days. An estimated 2,000 customers lost power across South Florida due to the rain.