Wind punches South Florida; boat parade is canceled
Gusty winds nearly knocking people off their feet, sand blowing in their faces like a thousand needles and treacherous waves that no one dared to get into did not deter a few tourists from enjoying South Beach on Friday afternoon.
Luiz Doval, 24, a tourist from Brazil, was walking on the beach with his family when a sandy wind puff smacked their faces. On his first visit to the United States, he told the Miami Herald he had planned to rent a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and ride it along the South Florida coastline.
Despite those plans being canceled, Doval and his companions kept an upbeat attitude.
“I would like to see more sun,” he said. “But I have to deal with the weather.”
Michael Debruce, 42, a restaurant owner from Illinois, and his family were leaving the sandy beach when a drizzle joined an intense wind gust. They were hoping to enjoy a sunny day at the beach before starting a 14-day cruise on Sunday.
“I was hoping to go to the beach and take the kids to the water,” he said.
The rough seas and the red flags at each lifeguard tower were enough warnings for them to stay away from the water. Still, he said, they were having a good time.
Celina Huang, 23, was being rocked back and forth by the wind as she waited for her boyfriend, Brendan Waits, 28, to put on his shoes. The couple could not afford a last-minute trip cancellation, so they came prepared with raincoats.
“We picked the worst days to be here!” she said with a chuckle.
But Waits didn’t mind the fierce wind. He told the Herald he was having a good time.
“The beach is less crowded,” he said. “If you ignore the wind, it’s a perfect day.”
WORKERS BRAVE WIND GUSTS IN CUTLER BAY
Staffers at Black Point Ocean Grill at Black Point Marina in Cutler Bay went about their normal routine Friday morning setting up to serve lunch.
But instead of just cutting up fruit for the bar, setting up silverware and doing other common tasks, some were patching up the tarp that covers the upper level bar and dining area.
“The tarps are starting to rip now,” manager Sam Basan said.
The restaurant was short-staffed Friday, an intentional move by Basan, who anticipated slow business because of the weather. Not many people want to eat near the water with winds and rains ripping.
“Instead of like eight servers we have two, because it’s slow,” Basan said.
On the lower deck, the unusually high tides poured seawater over the seating area.
Most restaurants in vacation areas around the country count on the summer months to keep their businesses afloat. But in South Florida, late fall and winter is tourist season.
Basan said this unusual storm is dampening his staff’s hopes for good tips before the holidays.
“Obviously, from a financial standpoint, it’s killing us, and it’s supposed to be the time of year when we start getting a little busier,” he said. “We’re used to it, though. If the weather’s beautiful, we’re slammed. When it’s bad, we’re slow.”
STRONG WEATHER CAUSES SOME CLOSURES
This year’s Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade in Fort Lauderdale was a causality of the gusty winds. The annual holiday event was set for Saturday but was postponed.
“The safety and well-being of our participants and spectators are of utmost importance to us,” organizers said in a statement. ”The inclement weather conditions, beyond our control, make it impossible to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.”
The event will be rescheduled. However, due to logistics, it will be nearly impossible to find another date soon, organizers said.
“It took us months to orchestrate this event and all its moving pieces,” they said. “This event is more complex to pivot and effectively plan safely within a few days.”
While mass transit in Miami-Dade and Broward is running on its normal schedule, Fort Lauderdale’s water-trolley service is suspended Friday and will likely remain so through the weekend.
A WINDY WEEKEND FOR MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD AND PALM BEACH
Across South Florida, sustained winds up to 35 mph and gusts up to 45 mph were hammering the region — an extension of the stormy weather that began Wednesday and that two days later appeared not to end soon enough.
A wind advisory is in effect for the metro and coastal areas of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties through 7 a.m. Sunday.
“Unsecured items could blow around,” the weather agency said. “Hazardous driving conditions for high-profile vehicles” is expected.
OTHER WEATHER HAZARDS BEING MONITORED
Tropical storm-like wind gusts were not the only weather hazard of concern for forecasters. Periods of heavy rainfall are expected to continue through the weekend, possibly causing some street flooding.
“A low-pressure system will approach Florida on Saturday, with increasing chances for rain throughout the day,” the weather agency said. ”This could result in localized flooding concerns across southeastern Florida.”
Up to five inches of rain is forecast across the most populated areas of South Florida through 7 a.m. Monday. In a worst-case scenario, the region could receive up to 6 inches.
A flood watch — meaning that flooding could happen — is in effect from 12:01 a.m. Saturday through Sunday morning.
Here’s what else you should know:
▪ Hail: There is a marginal risk for thunderstorms with frequent lightning, gusty winds and small hail on Saturday.
▪ Tornado: There is a “limited” risk of tornadoes forming across South Florida from 7 a.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday.
▪ Lightning: Shower and thunderstorm chances could start to increase Friday night into this weekend. The risk of lightning hazards is forecast to clear by Monday.
▪ Surf: There is an extreme risk of high surf along Palm Beach and Broward beaches, and an elevated risk for Miami-Dade with large breaking waves of 9 to 14 feet in the surf zone. A high-surf advisory is in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday.
▪ Rip currents: There is a high risk for strong rip currents along the Atlantic beaches. A high rip-current risk is in effect through Sunday evening.
▪ Marine hazards: Winds will remain strong to gusty for the next several days, keeping an elevated to extreme marine hazard threat level through the weekend. A gale warning with winds 25 to 35 knots with gusts up to 40 knots and waves 1 to 3 feet is in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday.
▪ Coastal flood: Minor coastal flooding might be possible along the Atlantic coastline through the remainder of the week due to persistent northeasterly winds.
THE FLORIDA KEYS
The National Weather Service Key West updated its forecast for the Keys decreasing the risk for severe thunderstorms on Saturday from marginal to slight.
Still, residents and visitors should be aware of the possibility of strong to severe thunderstorms and even isolated tornadoes, according to the weather service.
The Keys are also experiencing high winds, with gusts up to 51 mph measured offshore of the Upper Keys at Alligator Reef Lighthouse on Friday.
