After several days of heavy rain in Naples, Florida, business owners and residents faced significant challenges. Frederick Blaze, owner of Blaze Interiors on 5th Avenue North, shared his experience."I’ve been here 20 years at this location. I have never seen rain like this," he said. Blaze's business was forced to close for a week due to the flooding, with water breaching both his showroom and warehouse."We're basically trying to dry everything out. We've got fans blowing in circulation [...] we lost four days of business, but I just tried to put everything back together and dry it, dry everything out," Blaze said. This part of Naples is known for its vulnerability to flooding due to its low-lying area. Blaze pointed out that the water rose high enough to reach the first step of his warehouse, forcing him to discard some ruined furniture."It’s[...] a situation that has left many in the region feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what lies ahead. As if things weren’t bad enough, Florida declared a state of emergency for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota counties due to the ongoing flooding. In addition to Naples, areas such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah, Aventura, or Doral have been under a flash flood warning."
The National Weather Service warned that even smaller amounts of precipitation could worsen saturated areas, triggering more flash floods. Patients and workers at a cancer hospital in Fort Myers were stranded due to flooding. Images showed children traversing South Florida streets in inflatable rafts, adults wading through knee-deep water, and cars stalled in the middle of roadways.
The heavy rainfall has been relentless, soaking much of South Florida this week and Friday’s forecast predicted more rain will continue to soak sections of the state. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota counties.
The National Weather Service warned that even smaller amounts of precipitation could worsen saturated areas, triggering more flash floods on Friday. Patients and workers at a cancer hospital in Fort Myers were stranded Thursday afternoon because of flooding, CBS affiliate WINK-TV reported.
Images emerged of children traversing South Florida streets in inflatable rafts, adults wading through knee-deep water, and cars stalled in the middle of roadways. The floodwaters from past rainfall are one of the main reasons for the high flood risk. Many South Florida residents had just finished repairing their homes after catastrophic flooding in April 2023, only to find water lapping at their doorsteps Wednesday.
The heavy rain has been attributed to a string of powerful storms that soaked much of South Florida this week and Friday’s forecast predicted more rain will continue to soak sections of the state. The situation has led to widespread concern among residents, local authorities, and emergency services. The National Weather Service issued flood alerts for several areas in South Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah, Aventura, or Doral."
The situation has led to widespread concern among residents, local authorities, and emergency services. The National Weather Service issued flood alerts for several areas in South Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah, Aventura or Doral. As the rain continues to pour down on the region, [...]
