Jun 23, 2009 11:44 pm US/Eastern
Downpours Flood Miami Beach For Second Time
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MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) ―
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Miami Beach floods on June, 23rd, 2009.
CBS
As the sun rose over South Florida Tuesday, it was quickly blocked out by dark clouds and thunderstorms that pummeled Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. It was so dark at times, the morning sky appeared dark as night. The heavy rain was not something Miami Beach residents and business owners welcomed just two and a half weeks after drenching downpours flooded the beach.
By Tuesday afternoon,
CBS4.COM's Weather Bug recorded 2.74 inches of rain on Miami Beach.
Miami Beach Fire Rescue officials say the worst flooding has taken place on Alton Road between 5th and 12th Streets and nearby West Avenue, one block away.
For many people on Miami Beach, it was a soggy sense of déjà vu due to the similar flooding that took place on Friday, June 5th.
"Oh this is terrible, I think we are going to have a bad hurricane season," resident Lucy Carter told
CBS4's Peter D'Oench.
"This is horrible. I'm on my way to work and I've been through hell. It has not been a good day," said resident Crystal Bravo who was also caught in the flood two and a half weeks ago. "I was actually with my two kids in the middle of that flood and rain and here I am again."
Along Alton Road, business owners put up barriers to keep the water out. At a bakery where Kate Pavlova works, they used sand bags to stop the flood waters from entering the business.
"It's been bad, especially when the cars are passing by because the waves are coming in," said Pavlova.
At Amato's Cleaners, owner Iganzio Amato says in the past ten years, this is the worst flooding he's seen. He lost power and business during the previous flood on June 5th.
"It's coming back again. The problem is no customers because you see a lot of water. It's a problem and we had the same problem three weeks ago," said Amato.
Tourists didn't seem to mind the day's severe weather. "I definitely didn't expect this, but you have to take the good with the bad, it's Miami we're here for, not the weather," William Austin said. Ekta Sod of India said the rain actually helped, "The rain actually made the environment much more comfortable compared to Monday when it was so hot and so humid."
Samuel Aripjai has owned a jewelry store for 13 years on South Beach. He was definitely among the many business owners who were not pleased by the severe weather on Tuesday. "This weather has taken a terrible toll on my business when it's raining here, there's no one at the beach, we have no business at all, it keeps people away and that's the last thing i need in this economy and these tough times," Aripaji said.
Broward County also got hammered by Tuesday's storms.
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