Fort Lauderdale has seen some of the worst flooding from storms throughout the weekend, and many homeowners spent Monday trying to soak up the floodwater from inside their homes.
An area near Northwest 16th Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard was underwater Monday afternoon.
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Water reached the doorsteps of hundreds of homes, although they were miles away from the beach. Resident Odessa Randall's street has been underwater since 3 a.m. Monday. She and her neighbors battled all day long to keep the water out.
"When we got up, everything was soaked, and it was just flooded," Randall said.
Across Broward County, the toll of a weekend of seemingly endless rain was evident. Parking lots and baseball fields were underwater, and some drivers who dared to try to cross streets covered in floodwaters were left stranded when their cars stalled.
Dozens of parked cars also were submerged in water that poured into the lower floor of a parking garage overnight.
As more rain continued to fall on South Florida on Monday, residents worried about what else could be showing up at their front doors.
Some residents went to an American Red Cross shelter at Joseph C. Carter Park at 1500 W. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale for help. About 70 families signed up to have dinner at the shelter, which can accommodate about 200 people.
Miami-Dade Residents Wait For Water To Recede
Many Miami-Dade County residents woke up to find the streets underwater there, as well. The water receded Monday, but not completely.
At the Gulliver Preparatory elementary campus, there was supposed to be a Halloween party hosting 400 hundred parents Monday, but rains overnight determined school would have to be closed and fans brought in.
"We had no exterior damage, just water in some classes, so we rescheduled Halloween festivities to make it safer for the students," said Andrea Fuentes, the spokeswoman for the school.
Overnight, the constant rain over the city of Miami had fire crews and tow trucks drivers working overtime.
Joe Garcia was awakened at 12:45 a.m. to drive his truck over to the Brickell area.
"It was scary. Lots of people were out for Halloween, and the cars were floating when I got there," Garcia said.
Lt. Ignatius Carroll, of Miami Fire Rescue, said as many as 100 stranded drivers had to be pulled out of their cars, but there were no injuries to report.
Some homes took on some water damage, but right now it appears to be minor.
The flooding created a sinkhole in the front yard of one Cutler Bay apartment, as well.
"It looks like a pipe burst and it collapsed," said Cutler Bay Mayor Edward MacDougall.
From the side of the 15-feet deep hole, a tunnel was seen that led to a storm drain.
The mayor said whatever was there predates Cutler Bay's incorporation.
Schools To Reopen Tuesday
Students from Immaculata-LaSalle High School in Miami and Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale have to return to class Tuesday. Classes were canceled Monday because of flooding around both schools.
Gulliver Academy and Pinecrest Middle School have teacher work days Tuesday, so classes will resume Wednesday.