Parts of South Florida were hit by torrential rains, local floods and winds on Saturday as a storm system that had previously hit Mexico moved to the state. The floods also threatened the northwestern Bahamas.
Miami authorities have warned drivers about road conditions as many cars are stuck on flooded streets.
“This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Traveling in these conditions is not recommended. It is better to wait. Turn around, do not drown,” tweeted the city of Miami.
The city was pulling stranded vehicles off flooded roads. At least one tree has fallen over a house in Pompano Beach, displacing its residents, according to CBS Miami.
Towing trucks are moving past cars abandoned in a flooded street caused by a flood of rain from a tropical storm passing through the area on June 4, 2022 in Miami, Florida. The system dumped at least six to 10 inches of rain in the area, causing flooding. Joe Riddle / Getty Images
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm, once known as Agatha in the Pacific, would be known as Alex in the Atlantic basin if it reached tropical storm status.
At 8 p.m., the storm’s center of the storm was about 105 miles northeast of Fort Pierce, Florida, and about 885 miles west-southwest of Bermuda. It was moving northeast at 18 mph with a maximum steady wind of 45 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm is expected to reach the strength of a tropical storm off the east coast of Florida by Saturday night and is expected to intensify by Monday as it moves away from Florida to the Atlantic Ocean.
In Cuba, the storm killed three people, damaged dozens of homes in Havana and cut off electricity in some areas, according to authorities. Heavy rain continued on Saturday, but decreased as the weather system moved away from the island.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levine Kawa said most government services, such as bus routes and trains, plan to operate normally over the weekend. South Florida canal levels have been reduced to minimize torrential rain floods.
The season of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean officially began on Tuesday. It’s an unusually early start to the storm season, but it’s not unprecedented for Florida.
The National Hurricane Center estimates rainfall of up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) is possible in South Florida, including Florida Keys. The storm is not expected to cause strong winds or high tides. But it’s probably a local flood.
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