MIAMI – For the third day straight Wednesday, downpours continued across South Florida, with heavy rains leaving downtown Miami streets impassable and drivers stranded.
At the same time, city, county and state workers were stepping up efforts to alleviate flooding.
In the Edgewater neighborhood, pumps moved water out of storm drains and Miami-Dade County vacuum trucks stood by in case heavier downpours lead to more flooding coinciding with the afternoon high tide.
Drivers trying to maneuver through the area of Biscayne Boulevard near Interstate 395 downtown noticed heavy flooding that seemed to build up faster than in past years amid construction by the Florida Department of Transportation.
Local 10 News asked officials what was being done to keep drivers safe.
“We’re maintaining the existing drainage systems, cleaning the inlets, the structures, we’re also going to be doing additional cleanings to the injection wells,” FDOT spokesperson Oscar Gonzalez said.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, drivers were largely able to pass through without any issues. Officials say the problems arise when the heavy downpours come and they are just unable to keep up.
When that happens, they encourage drivers to steer clear and avoid the area altogether, rather than trying to drive through it.