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Away from elections for a moment, beaches and coronavirus testing sites were closed, public transportation was closed, and some evacuations took place earlier today after Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in the Florida Keys, bringing heavy rain. To the city streets already flooded
Eta landed Sunday night at Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida. The slow speed of the system and heavy rains posed a huge threat to South Florida, an area already drenched by more than 14 inches (350 millimeters) of rain last month. Eta could pour an additional 6 to 12 inches (150 to 300 millimeters), meteorologists said.
“In some areas, the water doesn’t come out as fast as it goes in,” warned Miami Dade Commissioner José “Pepe” Díaz.
The Associated Press reports that Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez said he was in frequent contact with county water officials about the fight to drain flood waters, which has paralyzed vehicles, whitewashed some intersections and even been infiltrated some houses.
There are flash flood warnings in some areas.
CBS4 Miami
(@CBSMiami)FLASH FLOOD ADVISORY in effect for parts of Broward County. Water can rise quickly, cutting off access to streets and neighborhoods. Avoid roads covered by water of unknown depth. pic.twitter.com/HoUAcQUhWv
On Sunday night, authorities in Lauderhill, Florida, responded to a report of a car that had crashed into a canal. Photos taken by firefighting units at the scene about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Miami showed rescuers searching for high water near a parking lot.
Firefighters removed a person from a car and took the patient to a hospital in critical condition, according to a statement from the Lauderhill Fire.
The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said there was a tropical storm warning for the Keys from Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas, including Florida Bay.
Eta was expected to move to the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and intensify into a hurricane late on Monday or Tuesday.
In the Florida Keys, the mayor ordered mandatory evacuations for mobile home parks, campgrounds and RV parks and those in low-lying areas.
Several school districts closed, saying roads were already too flooded and winds could be too strong for buses to transport students. Several shelters were also opened in Miami and the Florida Keys.
“Please take this storm seriously,” urged Bill Johnson, Palm Beach County Director of Emergency Management. “Please don’t drive on flooded roads.”
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