On Tuesday, southern Florida was hit with storms which gave way to flooding and travel delays in the Sunshine State.
On Wednesday, Florida was hit with 10-15 inches of rain in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. The storm prompted warnings of “life-threatening floods” as major roads closed, including a section of Interstate 95.
Southbound I-95 was shut down in Fort Lauderdale. It was reopened after six hours.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency to coordinate recovery efforts. Many roads are still under several feet of water in the state.
Thursday may bring 4-8 inches of rainfall with locally higher amounts of over 10 inches are a possibility. Rain is expected to begin in the late morning and continue into the afternoon.
The storms raised the heights of rivers and flooded the streets of Sarasota, Naples, and Fort Myers.
On Thursday, crews rescued drivers whose vehicles had gotten stuck in the flooding.
Flooding can have significant impacts on roads and highways such as erosion which can weaken the road and shoulder, making them more susceptible to damage.
In May, floodwaters damaged roads in Houston after days of heavy rainfall. Many roads were closed as they were impassable due to rising waters.
Last year in Vermont, floods caused over $35 million in damages with nearly 296 roads requiring work to fix them.
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Source: Roads & Bridges, CBS, USA Today
