PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Scattered showers continued Friday and Saturday after three days of heavy rainfall flooded some areas of Miami-Dade and Broward counties
Seville Mobile Home Park residents couldn’t leave their homes on Friday. Alina Provenza said she missed work and a doctor’s appointment to avoid standing water.
“All this completely fell apart,” Provenza told Local 10 News Reporter Andrew Perez in Spanish on Friday.
The National Weather Center extended a flood watch for coastal areas in Miami-Dade and Broward counties until 8 p.m., Saturday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Hollywood on Friday and learned about the property damage. He said there were about 100 pumps in use to clear the flooding.
Louis Bland and her 7-year-old grandson Malik said they were grateful for Gievan Rodríguez, a stranger who rescued them from a flooded car, as the water kept rising.
“I think he saved me and my grandson’s life because nobody else came,” Bland told Perez in Hallandale Beach.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel were still busy Friday. Chief Ray Jadallah said one of the rescues was a bedridden man who was in a flooded home and couldn’t evacuate on his own.
“We placed him on the high-axel water vehicle and got him to a rescue where they transported him to the hospital,” Jadallah said.
Lidie Thurc told Local 10 News Reporter Roy Ramos that she too needed help from fire rescue to evacuate a house in northeastern Miami-Dade with her two children, her mother, and her husband.
.“We still have high water in the house. I cannot go out because the water is higher outside than in the inside,” Thurc said.
Elizabeth Noel told Local 10 News Reporter Janine Stanwood that a lake invaded her backyard and her first-floor apartment at The Aspen Lakes apartment complex in North Miami. The water crept into her closets.
“I have been up since 4 a.m., the bedroom was full of water,” Noel said.
There were still cars in flooded streets that were too dangerous for tow truck drivers to access Friday. Tyler Hunter told Local 10 News Investigative Reporter Jeff Weinsier that the Mercedes Service Center where he works in Hallandale Beach also had damage.
“I have Land Rovers, Porsche Panameras, Mercedes, even a brand-new Lexus back there that are flooded and won’t be running anymore,” Hunter said.
The uninsured and underinsured were hoping for government assistance. Some were still assessing the damage to file insurance claims. State Farm reported receiving about 625 auto claims related to the flooding as of Friday afternoon.
Golden Beach residents were out of power for a day. Kirk McCoy, the public works director of the coastal community, told Local 10 News Reporter Rosh Lowe that floodwater got into a hole and likely affected underground utilities.
Cecilio Perez was among the Hallandale Beach residents who just gave up trying to keep the water out. A broom was floating next to a damaged mattress in the bedroom.
“No one has come over to help,” Perez told Local 10 News in Spanish.
Melie Michele Deshommes was cleaning all day. She said she lost all of her belongings in the flood and will have to start all over again.
“We have four bedrooms; everything is damaged,” Deshommes said. “everything is done.”
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Local 10 News Reporters Andrew Perez