FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in South Florida is slated to reopen Friday at 9am after historic flooding and debris on the airfields forced the airport to close on Wednesday night.
According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, more than 25 inches of rain fell in the Fort Lauderdale area on Wednesday. Once confirmed by the NWS, this event would set a new 24-hour, statewide rain record.
After a number of flight delays and cancelations from the at least a 1-in-1000-year flooding event, the airport is set to open its doors and tarmacs once again by 9am.
According to FOX Weather meteorologist Ian Oliver, a 1-in-1,000-year flooding event doesn’t mean it will be another 1,000 years before flooding of this magnitude will be experienced in Fort Lauderdale. Instead, it means “one-tenth of 1% is the chance of that happening in any given year,” Oliver added.
Photos and videos captured the extent of the downpour and its effects on the FLL airport and airline passengers.
Planes were seen surrounded by floodwater covering the tarmac.
Many flights were canceled due to the flooding, forcing travelers to stay at the airport.
Meanwhile, other passengers were seen leaving the airport and dragging their luggage through the murky floodwater.
Cars were also seen struggling to make it through the rising water, as seen in this photo captured at the airport.