Monsoon Floods Trap Hundreds of Vehicles in Sunrise Parking Lots

Heavy rainfall across South Florida turned the streets surrounding the Amerant Bank Arena into a temporary lake on Monday night.

The downpour, which followed a Florida Panthers game, left hundreds of vehicles stranded in the arena parking lot and at the adjacent Sawgrass Mills mall.

Witnesses described knee-deep water in the arena lot, with fans wading through the dark to reach their vehicles.

Many drivers left their cars behind because the darkness made it difficult to judge water depth, while others found their engines stalling as water entered the exhaust systems.

One man, whose vehicle stalled during the rush, had to wait for a tow truck to arrive Tuesday morning to recover his car.

The flooding also affected the mall across the street, where a tow truck became stuck in a ditch while attempting a rescue.

Sawgrass Mills announced on its website that it would open at 2 p.m. on Tuesday due to the water damage.

Sunrise recorded over 18 inches of rain in the previous 72 hours, a volume that overwhelmed local drainage systems.

Forecasters expect showers to continue across the region on Tuesday.

Mechanics advise drivers with flooded vehicles to have them inspected before restarting the engine to avoid cylinder damage.