FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The rainsoaked roads, bare beaches and the unusually empty restaurants and retail stores is a first for Diana Ferrer, a life-long South Florida resident.
"This is not a normal Memorial Day weekend," Ferrer said.
Rainy weather hampered the mood of the curious. But COVID-19 may have ruined any desire for people to pack the businesses around Fort Lauderdale beach in high numbers this holiday weekend.
"I've been trying to support the community but it's been tough when you see the beaches closed and everyone is inside," Ferrer said.
That's except for Saturday night when the weather was clear and dining in at restaurants looked like a popular choice.
Adhering to face covering guidelines from what we could see has been hit or miss.
“The sad thing is we hear of stories out right now and not wearing masks and no face coverings,” Broward County Commissioner Mark Bogen said.
He appeared on Local 10′s “This Week in South Florida” program Sunday and issued an urgent caution.
"I think people need to know to not let their guard down and that the virus is just as contagious right now as it has been three months ago."
On Miami's South Beach, the famed Ocean Drive and surrounding streets are relatively empty of tourists.
The annual Urban Beach Weekend that brings huge crowds was canceled since the city delayed re-opening their hotels and beaches until Monday, June 1.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, along with mayors and city managers from county municipalities, as well as medical experts, are still working on recommendations for final review as to what those re-openings will look like.
On Sunday afternoon, police and firefighters were busy on the water. Miami Beach Fire Rescue saved a family that had been stranded for two hours aboard a disabled vessel. They used flares top get the attention of rescuers.
This is an unusually idle holiday weekend in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where social distancing measures are the new norm and there’s plenty of rain in the forecast.