A flood of frustration after days of rain, but conditions are improving
MIAMI - South Florida is beginning to dry out a bit after days of rain inundated the area.
NEXT Weather meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez says it will likely be mostly quiet early Friday another round of rain will move in late morning, afternoon, and evening with the potential for downpours and flooding since the ground is already saturated.
While South Florida may see less rain on Friday, compared to earlier this week, many neighborhoods remained affected by standing water.
Friday morning, firefighters rescued people from flooded homes in the 1200 block of NE 144th Street in northeast Miami-Dade. They waded through knee-deep water to a waiting flatbed truck designed for high-water rescues.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said as of June 13th, they've had 16 calls requesting evacuation. Out of those 16, three were at homes. The other 13 were calls from vehicles of people who were stranded. A total of 34 people were rescued.
The department said as of June 11th, they had responded to nearly 100 weather-related incidents. Weather-related incidents may range from downed power lines to vehicles stuck in water, as well as flooding affecting residential areas.
In Hallandale Beach, a woman mistook a canal for a flooded road and drove into it.
She was able to climb out through a window to safety.
"She was pretty much really strong, I can't even imagine, that must be a very scary ordeal, but she looked very composed and she was safe. That's all that really matters. She got out of the car really quickly and she was safe," said a woman who watched as the car was hauled out of the canal.
Drivers are urged to avoid flooded roads, most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Another area that experienced flooding was Aventura.
Friday morning, Aventura spokesman Evan Ross said they are happy with the way their stormwater infrastructure handled all the water it took on.
"This was an unprecedented rain storm. We took on as much rain in 48 hours as we would typically take on in an entire summer. Our major arteries cleared quickly, Biscayne Boulevard, Country Club Drive, and of last night every road in Aventura is passable," he said Friday morning. "There's still some flooding on some roads, but not so much that cars can't get through."
The rain has also taken a toll on several neighborhoods in North Miami. That's where more than 20 inches of rain has fallen, turning some streets and roads into rivers.
Chopper 4 captured some dramatic images in North Miami at hard-hit N.W. 144th St. and 12th Ave. That's where Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter paramedics rescued family members after a call from an apartment building.
Neighbor Torrence Farrington captured some images on his cell phone and helped the family members.
He said "It was a family of 6 and I gave them some water and refreshments before they got into an Uber and left the scene after being rescued. I hope they are going to be ok. It's been three days and I can't believe people are still trapped in their homes. I have never seen this before."
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue also released some compelling photos and video showing their life-saving efforts in what was truly a team effort.
Fire Rescue said there have been at least 17 calls for evacuation since the flooding started this week and four of them were from homes. The rest were from people stuck in cars or stranded elsewhere. There have been at least 40 calls for help and reports of at least 98 weather-related incidents that included downed power lines and people in stalled cars.
Dania Lara said her home was flooded.
"I have been here 9 years and this has never happened. I have to go to work and I am trying to protect us from the water. The water came in through the patio and the house is flooded. You have to be careful. You don't know what you are walking in, if you are walking in sewage."
CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench caught up with Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava before she went on a walking tour of the area at N.E. 12th Ave. and 144th St. and as the Miami-Dade Transportation and Public Works Department sent in extra trucks to pump out the water.
The mayor said, "Even though we have a pumping station near here, it is not adequate and so we are sending in temporary pumps to remove the water and put on these trucks and we are going to see more vehicles come back shortly. We have been on this 24-7 for the emergencies and it may be that some people did not know to call about the problems. We are here to help people and we want them know we have this support."
