These Striking Photographs Capture the Aftermath of Florida’s 1,000-Year Storm

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A person walks through a flooded street in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.
A person walks through a flooded street in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Joe Raedle—Getty Images
By Tara Law and Eli Cohen

Floridians may be used to rain, but no one alive had seen the likes of the storm that swept Fort Lauderdale on April 13. The deluge brought 25.91 inches of rain to Fort Lauderdale within a 24-hour period—which, if confirmed, would clear the state’s previous record of 23.28 inches set in Key West in 1980, according to AccuWeather. The deluge appears to have been a 1,000 year storm, some meteorologists said—meaning that the odds of it happening in a given year are only about 0.1%.

The city deployed vacuum trucks and crews to clear storm drains, but the official Twitter account warned that there was simply too much water to clear the roads and the community would need to wait for water to drain naturally. With many cars abandoned in the flood, some residents used small boats to navigate the streets.

As of Friday the water had started to dissipate, and Fort Lauderdale—Hollywood International Airport, which had reported more than 30 inches of rain during the storm, had reopened. However, city officials noted that a substantial portion of the community was still flooded as of Friday afternoon.

Here are some of the most striking images from the rainstorm’s aftermath:

Lieutenant James Brodbeck of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation law enforcement patrols through the flooded neighborhood after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.
Lieutenant James Brodbeck of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation law enforcement patrols through the flooded neighborhood after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Chandan Khanna—AFP/Getty Images
People try to save valuables as they wade through flood waters in the Edgewood neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale
People try to save valuables as they wade through flood waters in the Edgewood neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Joe Cavaretta—South Florida Sun-Sentinel/AP
Cars navigate through flooded streets after record rains fell in Hollywood, Fla., on April 13, 2023.
Cars navigate through flooded streets after record rains fell in Hollywood, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Joe Raedle—Getty Images
A person sits in a stalled truck along a flooded street in Fort Lauderdale
A person sits in a stalled truck along a flooded street in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Joe Raedle—Getty Images
An elderly woman is rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation law enforcement and other agencies from the flooded neighborhood after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale
An elderly woman is rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation law enforcement and other agencies from the flooded neighborhood after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Chandan Khanna—AFP/Getty Images
American Airlines airplanes sit at the terminal as a truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
American Airlines airplanes sit at the terminal as a truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on April 13, 2023.David Santiago—Miami Herald/AP
People try to save valuables as they wade through flood waters in the Edgewood neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.
People try to save valuables as they wade through flood waters in the Edgewood neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Joe Cavaretta—South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
A woman is rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation law enforcement, on the flooded street after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale
A woman is rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation law enforcement in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Chandan Khanna—AFP/Getty Images
A woman looks on as she stands outside of a flooded home after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.
A woman looks on as she stands outside of a flooded home after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023.Chandan Khanna—AFP/Getty Images

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