Flooding is concern for South Florida as rain continues to fall

South Florida remains under flood advisory until 2 a.m.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A flood watch remains in effect for all of South Florida until 2 a.m. as rain continues to soak the region.

After a brief respite on Wednesday afternoon, another line of storms will cross through the area in the early evening, bringing more downpours to an already waterlogged community.

"We are just stuck in a stormy rut," Local 10 News chief certified meteorologist Betty Davis said. "The skies are already starting to change out there. Coral Springs, you know what I'm talking about. In Key West, you have a thunderstorm impacting you right now."

Throughout the day, massive flooding could be seen throughout Broward County. Sky 10 flew over American Heritage school where the athletic fields were completely covered and school was canceled for the day.

This Southwest Ranches home looks more like a boat house.

Broward residents could be seen making their way any way they could through flooded streets. 

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport both experienced flight cancelations and delays.

As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, 41 flights had been canceled in Miami with 52 delays.

Sunrise police said the Sawgrass Mills mall was closed Wednesday because of flooding. Zoo Miami also closed to new guests Wednesday afternoon.

Zoo officials said guests who are currently inside the zoo may stay until closing. 

The parking lot of the Cleveland Clinic in Weston was flooded Wednesday morning, and a power outage forced Keiser University's Miami campus to temporarily close until electricity could be restored.

Davis said Key West set a new record for June 7 with 1.74 inches of rain on Wednesday. The last record for Key West was 1.62 inches in 1876. 

The National Weather Service said Tuesday's 4.78 inches of rainfall in Fort Lauderdale broke a 91-year record. The previous record was 1.96 inches of rain in 1926.

Doctors warn people to avoid walking through flooded areas if possible or allowing their children play in standing water.

"Especially standing rain water you have to worry because it can be a collection of sewage, especially with our storm systems here, the drains will back up and you can get actually raw sewage that will spill out onto the street," Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Emergency Room Dr. David Hooke said. "Assuming it's not raw sewage, then you can get routine contaminants from lawns and driveways and other places."

Rain is expected to persist for the remainder of the work week.

Davis said South Floridians should prepare for at least a couple more inches of rain on Thursday. She said there is a 60 percent chance of rain for both Thursday and Friday and a 50 percent chance of rain on Saturday.

"It doesn't look like we're done," she said. 

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About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.