#MIANA WATERS DRIVERS#
Whatever their priorities, plenty of drivers took to the streets as the storm began to abate during the afternoon, causing traffic jams worse than usual in the slick and inundated conditions.
“Which way should I go?” a man in a small S.U.V. Tow trucks raced around, doing a brisk business.
#MIANA WATERS WINDOWS#
Most drivers of pickup trucks barreled through the rising water, sending white sprays in all directions.ĭrivers of smaller cars could be heard through open windows discussing with their passengers the likelihood of getting through or getting stuck with a flooded engine - the fate of many vehicles elsewhere in the area. Yet the region was dotted with drivers taking their chances during the early morning hours and into the afternoon, even as downpours drenched neighborhoods.Īt an intersection in Miami’s Little Havana, dozens of cars paused at traffic lights to take measure of the flooded streets beyond. People who live in parts of South Florida that are prone to floods should identify a safe place to go to if waters begin to rise, and be careful not to drive through standing water, Maria Torres, a spokeswoman for the National Hurricane Center, said on Friday. The Hurricane Center also said that some cities in the state could see a storm surge of up to three feet.
The forecast for Florida included the possibility of tornadoes over the southern portion of the state through Saturday.
Rainfall totals were expected to be wide-ranging as the storm was forecast to travel toward Bermuda, possibly causing high currents along the Atlantic Coast as it moved away from the mainland.Īt the Clock Tower in Palm Beach, about 70 miles north of Miami, Matt Davies, 50, of Delray Beach, called the storm system “surfing weather.” Ten surfers and a paddle boarder braved the conditions to navigate the four-foot waves. “From midnight, everywhere was flooded, every car was stalled,” he said.Įarly Saturday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami warned of “considerable flash and urban flooding” in South Florida. Gil, a student pilot, who posted a video of flooded streets on Twitter, wondered if the city’s flood prevention system, which included storm water pumps and sea walls, had worked as intended. Goncalo Gil, 26, stayed inside as streets clogged with water outside his apartment in the Miami neighborhood of Brickell. And Floridians know it does not take much storm development to cause mayhem in Miami - especially on a weekend night when many people are out. Meteorologists said that although the storm never fully organized as it traveled from the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida Keys, it could still strengthen into a tropical storm as it leaves the Atlantic Coast. There was no persistent power loss, however - only a couple of downed trees. In Key Largo, a docked 25-foot boat sank after being filled with rainwater, according to David Garrido, a spokesman for the Key Largo Fire Department.