HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday discussed the state’s response to flooding in South Florida caused by intense rainfall from a tropical disturbance.
The governor was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue for an update in Hollywood, Florida.
The disorganized storm system was pushing across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico at roughly the same time as the early June start of hurricane season, which this year is forecast to be among the most active in recent memory.
The downpours hit Tuesday and continued into Wednesday, delaying flights at two of the state’s largest airports and leaving vehicles waterlogged and stalled in some of the region’s lowest-lying streets. On Thursday, travelers tried to salvage their plans as residents cleared debris before the next round of rain.
DeSantis said the state has 90 water pumps in use or available to clear out some of the standing water that remains.
“There had not been much (rain)and so the area held a lot of it, but it just was so much inundation in such a short period of time that you ended up having this. Now, there’s going to be more rain today. The most recent briefing found was it’s more of a typical South Florida afternoon-type shower, not like what we had earlier in the week,” the governor said Friday.
Guthrie detailed what homeowners should do if they’ve experienced flood damage.
“If your home has experienced significant flood damage, do not enter the building if it is still flooded. When you do that, the first thing you should do is take pictures of that flood inundation before you do any type of cleanup, so that you can pass that on to your your flood insurance or your homeowner’s insurance. Report any broken utilities to the proper authorities, and do not handle any type of live wires or other wires if they if they are laying on the ground,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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