MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – As the sun went down Saturday, the wind gusts began to pick up on South Beach. And while this had been mostly a wind event for the area, it also started getting some drenching rains.
A normally bustling Ocean Drive was mostly empty Saturday evening due to the weather.
“It’s not great -- it’s very windy and I don’t like it,” Marcel Lemanczyk, who is visiting from Poland, said.
Tourists from overseas were disappointed with the lack of sun.
Instead, there was whipping wind and biting rain on Miami Beach where they still ventured out.
“To check. When you’re in Miami, you should check the beach,” Lemanczyk said.
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The stalled-out weather system gave the area one last kick Saturday evening.
Befuddled visitors made the best of their trip to South Florida.
“I mean, it’s still pretty warm. What? 70 degrees out, not bad, besides the wind and waves,” Luke Frye, who is visiting from Michigan, said.
Max Gane and Leon Gogol, who are visiting from Germany, said this is their first time in America and they were thrilled to be in South Florida.
They both even ventured into the water off South Beach.
“Even with this wind, even with this rain, it’s still great. Swim in this water. Miami Beach is the best place in the world!” they said.
But business owners weren’t as excited.
At the Gabriel Italian restaurant, the manager said business is down 60 percent over the past three days.
“I’ve been here for 25 years, and this is the first time in December there is such a bad weather,” Dario Alano said.
The weather was a major impact to businesses, but several owners and workers said they’re hoping that as this system moves on, they will be able to catch up for this season.
They’re hoping business gets back to normal next week.
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