MIAMI – Residents in Miami and Miami Beach had to navigate through high water Tuesday after extreme flooding from rain in some parts of their cities.
Miami Beach received about 4 to 5 inches of rain, making it one of the hardest-hit areas.
"Even some areas that were not necessarily underneath a flash-flood warning got plenty of rainfall," Local 10 News chief certified meteorologist Betty Davis said.
Davis added that high tides contributed to floodwaters.
The storm brought businesses along the beach to a halt, and some commuters had to get towed out of the high water.
A new stormwater system installed in Miami Beach was designed to handle 7 1/2 inches of rainfall, but Assistant City Manager Eric Carpenter said Tuesday's rain was "significantly higher intensity" than the system is designed to handle.
Power outages in Sunset Harbor also added to the issue as the "pumps were struggling to keep up with the rainfall already," Carpenter said.
Coral Gables, South Miami, Black Point, Redland and Kendall also experienced heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service.
In Brickell, some people were stranded after work because of the heavy rain.
"You can't get anywhere over here," Tyler Scott said.
Francisco Cano said he was stranded in Brickell from about 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, tow trucks were in high demand in the area as commuters became stuck in the high water.
Flooding from a roof drain prompted the evacuation of the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center. The building will remain closed until Wednesday. All hearings scheduled for Wednesday are set to be re-scheduled.
Be sure to download the WPLG Local 10 Weather app to receive the latest and most accurate information about severe weather where you live and work. You can find it by searching "WPLG Local 10 Weather" in your iTunes or Google Play app stores.