Broward County

Floods shut down Fort Lauderdale airport and swamped runways. See what it looked like

By Jeff Kleinman , David Santiago and Pedro Portal
BCAD Express and Fedex airplanes are grounded on the tarmac on Thursday, April 13, 2023, as the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is closed while the runway remains flooded.
BCAD Express and Fedex airplanes are grounded on the tarmac on Thursday, April 13, 2023, as the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is closed while the runway remains flooded. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com

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Soggy South Florida

What to know about the flooding, rain and forecast, along with impacts to roads and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

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Rising floodwaters shut down Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday.

The airport was closed all day Thursday and is expected to open at 9 a.m. Friday.

Water swamped access roads and runways. People were stuck in the terminal and in gridlock. Vehicles submerged and planes sat in high water.

KNOW MORE: Fort Lauderdale airport to reopen Friday morning; floods trap travelers for hours

Here’s what it looked like Thursday:

Planes in floodwater

American Airlines airplanes at their terminal as a truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
American Airlines airplanes at their terminal as a truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
BCAD Express and Fedex airplanes grounded on the tarmac as the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is closed while the runway remains flooded on Thursday April 13, 2023, due to heavy rain that affected Broward County for the last two days.
BCAD Express and Fedex airplanes grounded on the tarmac as the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is closed while the runway remains flooded on Thursday April 13, 2023, due to heavy rain that affected Broward County for the last two days. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
A Spirit Airlines airplane parked as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
A Spirit Airlines airplane parked as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
American Airlines airplanes at their terminal as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
American Airlines airplanes at their terminal as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
A truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
A truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com

The weary travelers

Travelers wait outside Terminal 2 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for flights to be resumed on Thursday, April 13, 2023 after the relentless rain and windy conditions prompted the airport, second largest in the region, to suspend arriving and departing flights on Wednesday.
Travelers wait outside Terminal 2 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for flights to be resumed on Thursday, April 13, 2023, after the relentless rain caused the airport to suspend arriving and departing flights on Wednesday. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
Travelers walk outside Terminal 2 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023, waiting for flights to be resumed after the relentless rain and windy conditions prompted the airport to suspend arriving and departing flights on Wednesday.
Travelers walk outside Terminal 2 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023, waiting for flights to be resumed after the relentless rain and windy conditions prompted the airport to suspend arriving and departing flights on Wednesday. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com

Flooded airport roadways

A Broward County TOPS vehicle on flooded West Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
A Broward County TOPS vehicle on flooded West Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
Vehicles on flooded West Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
Vehicles on flooded West Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
A Jeep drives on the perimeter road around the flooded runway on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which remains closed due to the heavy rain.
A Jeep drives on the perimeter road around the flooded runway on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which remains closed due to the heavy rain. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
A Fedex truck on flooded West Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
A Fedex truck on flooded West Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com

On the runway and tarmac

Delta Air Lines airplanes at their terminal as a truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
Delta Air Lines airplanes at their terminal as a truck drives through the flooded tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
The flooded runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that remains closed due to the heavy rain that affected Broward County for the last two days, on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
The flooded runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that remains closed due to the heavy rain that affected Broward County for the last two days, on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
A BCAD Express airplane is parked as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
A BCAD Express airplane is parked as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com
A private jet charter sits next to the hangar as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
A private jet charter sits next to the hangar as the runway remains flooded from heavy rain at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com

Authorities outside the airport

State troopers closed many exits on I-95 in the Fort Lauderdale area due to the heavy rain and flooding, Thursday, April 13, 2023.
State troopers closed many exits on I-95 in the Fort Lauderdale area due to the heavy rain and flooding, Thursday, April 13, 2023. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
Two partially submerged vehicles from the explosives detection K9 team that got flooded at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Thursday April 13, 2023.
Two partially submerged vehicles from the explosives detection K9 team that got flooded at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Thursday April 13, 2023. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com

This story was originally published April 13, 2023 at 5:00 PM.

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Soggy South Florida

What to know about the flooding, rain and forecast, along with impacts to roads and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

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