HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida emergency management leaders held a news conference in Hollywood on Friday, as they updated communities on the scope of the damage caused by heavy downpours and flash floods this week.

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management Director, Kevin Guthrie, said so far there are reports of about 100 homes in Hollywood that were impacted, with four suffering serious damage.

“I’d imagine that number is going to be probably closer to 500,” said Guthrie, who didn’t appear to include in his estimate homes in other hard-hit areas.

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Guthrie believes the majority of the damage to structures is minor. State leaders said that’s fortunate, considering parts of the South Florida area saw more than 20 inches of rain this week, including nearly 10 inches in a 24-hour period.

Guthrie said those communities were better prepared after experiencing a similar situation 15 months ago. The state estimates about 100 pumps have been used this week to clear flood water.

“I think the testament here is to the cities and the county and the state for coming in and getting this done as fast as we did. There’s not the damage that we saw back 15 months ago,” he said. “So a very, very rapid response led to the reduction of destroyed and major damage to homes.”

Some of the hardest hit areas include Hollywood, Aventura and Hallandale Beach. A state of emergency was issued for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties. Those areas are no longer under a flash flood emergency.

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“The area held a lot of it, but it just was so much inundation in such a short period of time, that you ended up having this,” DeSantis said.

Guthrie said he does not believe the area will qualify for a FEMA emergency delcaration, but may be able to qualify for a Small Business Administration declaration, due to damage to businesses and uninsured homes.

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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Hollywood on Friday morning.

DeSantis addressed flooding in South Florida caused by intense rainfall from a tropical disturbance.

He was accompanied by Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue.

City officials in Hollywood said they saw close to 20 inches of rain in the area since Tuesday.

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS: Flooding widespread as storms sweep across South Florida

And in Fort Lauderdale, there was more of the same as the mayor said crews are facing a tough situation.

Despite the heavy flooding, Hollywood residents were grateful Friday morning as the high waters that took over the streets, leading to cars having to be towed, began to recede.

DeSantis said that at least 100 pumps are in use to drain the water from the severe flooding.

He also said his office has been in constant communication with the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who are helping with the recovery efforts.

Guthrie urged residents to stay off the roads if possible and keep records of property damage inside their homes.

“If your home has significant damage, do not enter the building if it is still flooded. You should take pictures before doing any kind of cleanup so you can send them to your flood insurance companies to get refunded. Please avoid any areas that are subject to flooding and never try to walk through the water. Some of the water is contaminated and we urged parents to not allow their children to play in it,” he said.

DeSantis said we are expected to receive more rain but said, “South Florida has the staff and emergency response teams in place to handle it.”

Officials in the city of Hollywood said they are requesting more pumps to help with all the flooding as more rain is expected in the forecast.

Local 10 viewers can watch the news conference here:

CLICK HERE for the latest weather updates from Local 10′s Weather Authority.

CNN
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The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 3-0 series lead on Thursday.

Heading into the second period, with the Panthers up 1-0, Oilers forward Warren Foegele found the back of the net to tie things up.

The Panthers then caught fire, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead into the final period.

Edmonton made things interesting in the third period, cutting the deficit to one following goals from Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod. However, the Oilers comeback attempt fell just short.

The Panthers are now one win away from hoisting its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Florida forward Sam Bennett said after the game the prospect of winning the Stanley Cup is “exciting” but added that the series is not over.

“We got a job to do,” Bennett told the ABC broadcast. “We got to come prepared to play the exact same game.”

On the other hand, the Oilers will look to do what only one team in NHL history has ever done, come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final – the only team being the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Three other teams have clawed back from the dreaded deficit in the NHL playoffs, the last one being the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.

Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada at 8 p.m. ET.