A few weeks ago, the rain poured from the sky in buckets and all was quiet in my suburban bubble, other than a few tornado warnings.

But 30 minutes away in Fort Lauderdale, the storm that local officials described as unprecedented flooded streets and homes, shuttered the international airport and caused irreparable damage to city hall.

The storm’s impact reverberated into my neighbourhood a few days later, when a shortage of gasoline led cars to queue up for fuel.