Photos and videos amid a storm that has so far dumped more than 25 inches of rain over coastal areas in Florida show a major airport forced to shut down, flooded buildings, overwhelmed highways and underwater parking lots.

Weather service meteorologist Ana Torres-Vasquez said the rain in the Fort Lauderdale area was a “1-in-1,000-year event or more” – meaning it’s so intense the chance of it happening in any given year is just 0.1%.

Fort Lauderdale was slammed with 25.95 inches of rainfall over the last two days and nearby Dania Beach recorded 21.42 inches, AccuWeather reported. Some areas received 20 inches of rain in six hours. Hollywood and South Miami received at least 9 inches of rain.

Sections of I-95, the state’s main north-south traffic artery, were overwhelmed by water for several hours. 

Fort Lauderdale saw 2 feet of rain in a day:How on Earth is that even possible?

Airplanes sit on the runway due to flooding at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport, and all public schools, and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service.

A woman wades through high flood waters in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., neighborhood on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

Flooding lingers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023 after heavy rain pounded South Florida on Wednesday.

People try and save valuables, wading through high flood waters in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., neighborhood on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

The roads of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport flooded on April 13, 2023.

People wait for a bus next to a flooded road on April 12, 2023, in Dania Beach, Florida. Heavy rain passed through the South Florida area causing some area flooding.

A person stands next to his vehicle stranded on a flooded road due to heavy rain at North Bay Rd. and 179th Dr. in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

April 12, 2023: A person drives a scooter through a flooded street in Dania Beach, Florida. Heavy rain passed through the South Florida area causing some area flooding.

Exit 2 off of the MacArthur Causeway floods over the road and onto the sidewalk during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds, and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.

A man stops to take pictures of his flooded neighborhood along SW 3rd Street and SW 4th Ave in Dania Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

A truck drives through flooding in Little Haiti during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.

Broward Sheriff's Office deputies direct traffic away from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which has closed to all flights and traffic on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Flooding lingers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023 after heavy rain pounded South Florida on Wednesday.

Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY’s NOW team. 

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