‘Nothing is Ever the Same Since Then’: 2 Years Since Historic Flooding Hit Fort Lauderdale

As the rainy season returns multiple Fort Lauderdale residents are reliving the trauma of the historic April flood that devastated neighborhoods and left parts of the city underwater For Kristen Slingerland the memories are vivid and haunting We had a hard rain a couple days ago it gives you PTSD reported Slingerland who lives in the Edgewood neighborhood All of us are on high alert We are constantly watching that floodgate right there Surviving the Flood On April Fort Lauderdale experienced one of its worst weather disasters in history inches of rain fell within hours overwhelming storm drains and flooding homes Slingerland her husband and their -year-old son were forced to wade through feet of water to reach safety the following day Now a year later their home has been rebuilt and the family has welcomed a new baby But the emotional scars remain When it starts to rain hard I want to pick things up off the floor that s the first thing I think about she disclosed I don t want to lose anything again Source WLRN First Responders Prepare for Future Floods In response to the storm Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission carried out more than rescues Emergency teams pulled people from submerged homes guiding them to safety in intricate and dangerous conditions Vincent Pangallo a driver-engineer with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue recalls the chaos of those rescues Lots of times the first thing they want to do is jump on you attack the boat he announced You have multiple people at one time and that s when the rescuers become casualties This week more than of the department underwent high-water rescue training The goal ensure readiness for another flood catastrophe Crews are now equipped with updated boats dry suits and enhanced gear to manage submerged neighborhoods Learning to Read the Water Part of the training focuses on teaching first responders how to safely operate in floodwaters Storm drains and manhole covers can pop off during intense rain creating invisible hazards In the classroom we re teaching the guys how to read the water what to look for Pangallo revealed Understanding the current spotting debris and identifying hidden dangers are all key elements of the new training A Neighborhood on Edge For residents like Slingerland preparation brings comfort but also underscores the reality of what s at stake I hope they never have to use that training she disclosed No nothing has ever been the same since then As Fort Lauderdale enters another rainy season both citizens and first responders are doing what they can to prepare hoping history doesn t repeat itself but ready if it does