Overnight Rain Causes Street Flooding In Broward, Northern Miami-Dade

HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) - Several areas across South Florida had to deal with flooding from the overnight storms.

The area around Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport received about seven inches of rain since midnight forcing it to temporarily shut down. It has since re-opened and flights have resumed.

One of the worst spots in Hollywood was on Sheridan Street at NE 2nd Street which also got about six inches of rain.

Vehicles passed through door-high water and some didn't make it. A CBS4 camera spotted a stalled Dodge Charger on tow, as the doors opened water poured out.

It was also a busy night for tow truck drivers. Jason Williams with 24 Hour Broward towing said he'd towed 15 vehicles since midnight.

"Water stuck, cars shut off," he said.

Dozens of cars stalled in the high water.

"I cannot use my car, this is terrible," said one woman after severe flooding forced her out on foot to walk to the bus.

Some drivers were fearless enough to make a pass through it but many got stuck.

Chopper4 was overhead of heavy flooding in Hallandale Beach where what looked like a mini river had formed in the street. Some people waded through thigh-high water, others took it by boat.

Hollywood police have asked people to avoid the small residential streets on the east side of the city, especially those that are of 15th Avenue, due to flooding.

In Hollywood's, North Lake neighborhood the floodwaters had reached the houses.

"It was coming just about to my waist, a little bit below my waist," said Armando Delgado who was brave enough to trek into it.

Delgado said flooding is a problem in the area, but this was a first.

"No, no never this bad, not in December, this is the dry season."

In Hallandale Beach, Richard Jacobson awoke to in the middle of the night Monday to several inches of rainwater pushing into his first floor condo at Hallandale Gardens Condo.

"We worked all night with towels. We were flooded with four inches of water in the whole house," he said.

Jacobson said his floorboards sustained damage and the situation was even worse outside as six inches of water flooded his wife's car and many others.

As CBS4's Carey Codd drove through Hallandale Beach Monday afternoon, there were stranded cars, flooded streets and people wondering about all the work the city of Hallandale Beach did to improve drainage a few years ago.

"They're pumping system doesn't work efficirtienly," said Pam Robertson, who also lives at Hallandale Gardens Condo.

City leaders said the drainage pumps were designed and installed to best practices.

The city said their pumps are large but they cannot pump water at the same rate that rainwater falls in a heavy storm.

That combined with the saturated ground and high tide combined to make this flooding worse, according to the city.

"They need to get on it and fix it. They need to slowly start improving everything," said Hallandale Beach resident Tom Mariana.

In Dania Beach, rain gauges showed close to nine inches of water fell after midnight.

In Aventura, the city informed residents and visitors that NE 29th Avenue between NE 203rd Street and NE 199th Street is shut down in both directions due to flooding.