HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Storm clouds rolled through South Florida Tuesday. It’s just the beginning of an expected rainy week with a flood watch in effect for all of South Florida.
Despite that, at least one family didn’t let the wet weather get in the way of a day on Hollywood Beach.
Lorraine Martinez brought her grandchildren out, umbrellas in tow.
“Anything they want to do, here they come,” she said.
The kids are finally on summer break and said they wouldn’t let the weather — literally — rain on their parade.
“Even if we can’t even swim, we’ll walk around,” Lorraine’s granddaughter, Alina Martinez, said.
Water pumps were out in Brickell, with officials working to prevent flooding and water damage.
The constant rain overwhelmed some areas, with water seen seeping under doors and into businesses.
“The entire team worked hard to get the water out,” said Alan Ozgur with Isi Elite Training Gym. “Thank God it wasn’t that bad, but it could have been worse.”
For businesses inside Mary Brickell Village on South Miami Avenue, there was a rush to place sandbags at the bottom of doors.
“The rain was really bad,” said Claudia Fernanda with Kanu Pet. “The street was full of water and it starts to get into our store.”
Over at the Broadwalk Restaurant on the Beach, despite slow business, employee Francine Meredith summed things up succinctly.
“This is Florida,” she said. “This is summertime.”
To be safe, officials at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport urged travelers to check with their airline for the most up-to-date flight status before showing up to the airport.
Overall, eight cancellations were expected in and out of FLL Tuesday, along with 21 flight delays as of around noon. It’s a situation likely to repeat itself throughout the week.
Miami International Airport reported some cancellations and delays as well.
Officials in Miami-Dade County are urging residents to take things slow and avoid flooded roads.