The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has reopened after temporarily shutting down because of excessive rain and flooding, as the historic rainfall totals topped 25 inches at the airport.
In its ninth travel update early Friday morning, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport announced operations were set to begin at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
“Travelers are advised to check with their airlines for updated flight times BEFORE coming to the airport. Thanks for your patience as we work to restore normal operations,” the update read:
The airport initially closed because of excessive flooding, with rainfall totals reaching 15-25 inches in areas of Broward County and Miami-Dade, per the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
“The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and Ft. Lauderdale International Airport’s Florida Severe Weather MesoSTEM Network, which provides hyper-accurate local data, has registered 25.87 inches of rain,” the department wrote in an update provided Thursday.
The Weather Channel cited one woman, Valerie Bell, who sat on a plane for hours at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Wednesday night.
“Our cellphones were beeping all the time about tornado warnings. So you can imagine how vulnerable we felt,” she said, describing the scene.
“We were on the plane there, stuck in the plane, and all around us it was a lake. It wasn’t just puddles, it had covered the tarmac,” she added.
VIDEO: Flights Canceled, Travelers Stranded in Ft. Lauderdale Airport Because of Severe Flooding
According to data from FlightAware, 33 percent of outgoing flights from the Fort Lauderdale airport have been canceled as of 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
Meanwhile, Broward County schools remain closed through Monday.
“Schools and district offices will remain closed on Friday, April 14. Afterschool activities, events, and extracurricular activities are also cancelled, along with Success Saturdays tutoring. Schools and administrative offices are expected to be open on Monday, April 17th,” the update read:
WATCH: Florida Drivers Attempt to Drive in Massively High Floodwaters
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is set to deliver a speech at Liberty University in Virginia on Friday, declared a state of emergency for Broward County Thursday:
According to NWS Miami, the rain has subsided for the southern portion of the state, ending the Flood Watch for “coastal/metro Miami-Dade and Broward.” It appears the last flood warning expired at 8 a.m.”: