FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ South Florida was swamped by heavy rains overnight that flooded streets and highways, stranded cars and closed the airport in Fort Lauderdale.
About 4 a.m., Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport tweeted that the facility was closed because of severe rain and flash flooding.
Flights resumed about 2 { hours later, but traffic heading to the airport was extremely heavy and there were ongoing disruptions with some airport services, such as shuttle buses, officials said.
Passengers were advised to check with their carriers before heading to the airport.
In an advisory about 8 a.m., the airport indicated there were 123 flight delays and at least six flights had been canceled.
In Terminal 2, Nikki Gavallas waited in a long line at the counter for Delta Airlines with her husband and two daughters 3, and 14 months.
"Our adventure this morning started really early. We were supposed to have a 7:30 flight to Atlanta that got delayed to 8:30 and we've been stuck in traffic trying to get to the airport, Gavallas said, while trying to take it all in stride.
"But it's OK, our kids are being great," she said.
More than 7 inches of rain fell at the airport during the last 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
A flash flood warning that that had been in effect was downgraded at about 5:30 a.m. to a flood advisory for southern Broward and northern Miami-Dade counties and was extended until 7:45 a.m., the weather service said.
A notice by the city of Hollywood shortly after 4 a.m. urged drivers to avoid several parts of the city including areas east of U.S. 1, along Park Road and on the barrier island because of hazardous flooding conditions. Motorists are being urged not to drive in flooded areas.
Helicopter images broadcast by WSVN-Ch. 7 showed an area east of U.S. 1 between Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Pembroke Road where numerous vehicles were stalled in flood waters up to and beyond their engine compartments.
Additionally, portions of the track area at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach were under hip-high water.
Law enforcement agencies reported flooding in Hollywood, Dania Beach and Fort Lauderdale, the weather service said, adding that observations at the water plant in Hollywood noted that 8.8 inches of rain had fallen during the last 24 hours.
The official 24-hour rain totals from the weather service indicated that 7.1 inches fell at Fort Lauderdale's airport, 5.1 inches in Hallandale Beach, more than 4 inches in Hollywood and 3 to 5 inches in Miami-Dade County. At least 2 inches fell in Boynton Beach.
An all night tornado watch for the interior portions of South Florida was allowed to expire about 4 a.m. The watch for coastal areas of the region was allowed to expire 45 minutes later.
