HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – South Florida residents were met with soaked streets and gloomy skies Monday morning, as a strong band of rainstorms brought flash flooding concerns, disrupted commutes and a wave of anxiety across the region.
“I wanted to stay in bed, I really wanted to stay in bed!” said Vanessa Cohen, clutching her umbrella on her way to work.
She wasn’t alone in feeling the dread.
From Hollywood to Miami Gardens, many people were reconsidering whether work was worth the risk.
“I just actually gave a call to my manager and I am going to wait for him to give me a call back and talk to him about possibilities of not coming in today,” said Sonia Breland. “It was problematic for me to get back home so I had to go west and stay with a friend.”
Local 10’s Hannah Yechivi was in Hollywood on Monday, where she said the city opened four parking garages for residents to use through Tuesday morning. The move is designed to prevent additional vehicle damage as rain totals continue to rise.
To help mitigate flood-related vehicle damage, the city of Hollywood is offering free parking in all four of its municipal garages through Tuesday morning.
9 a.m.
Miami Beach is also providing free parking at city-owned garages for residents concerned about rising water levels.
“In the last rain that was very very heavy, last year I lost my car. Total loss with the rain just coming back from work to my house, so yeah I have PTSD from that,” said Cohen.
The National Weather Service has issued flood advisories for several areas, including Miami Gardens, where some streets — like parts of North Miami Avenue — have already seen flooding. Forecasters say some areas could receive up to six inches of rain today, with strong and gusty winds expected to accompany the storms.
As of 11:45 a.m., Florida Power & Light reported more than 2,600 outages across the region, with 1,636 customers affected in Broward County and 1,020 in Miami-Dade.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport also experienced disruptions Monday. As of late morning, the airport reported 98 delays and eight cancellations, with all delays occurring within, into or out of the United States.
Despite the hazards, the rainfall could bring some relief to drought-stricken areas of South Florida, where recent brush fires have plagued parts of the Florida Keys.
It wasn’t the shoreline, but parts of Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami looked more like a beach than a busy street Monday as heavy rain flooded sidewalks and roads, creating an obstacle course for pedestrians and a major headache for drivers.
“It’s a lot of water, I can’t walk anywhere,” one woman said as she struggled to navigate the rising water.
Foot traffic slowed to a crawl as people tried to find dry ground or protect themselves from the unexpected deluge. Some residents waded through water ankle-deep or higher, doing their best to stay dry.
“I got a lot of wet, and my foot is underwater and I’m afraid to go,” another person said.
After a stretch of dry weather, the rain brought some much-needed moisture to the area. But within hours, city streets turned to streams, with water pooling along curbs and overtaking crosswalks.
City drainage systems were seen working to keep up with the downpour.
Authorities urged residents and visitors to avoid taking unnecessary risks on the roads and stay home if possible.
For the hour-by-hour forecast and a live radar, visit this page.
