Miami Beach to residents: 'Welcome home'

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – After a long delay following Hurricane Irma, Miami Beach residents were finally able to return to their homes Tuesday morning.

Police allowed cars off causeways leading onto Miami Beach at 8 am, four hours before the previously scheduled time of noon.

"Welcome home!," the city wrote on its official Twitter site.

Tempers flared Monday when anxious residents looking to learn about the condition of their homes were refused entry to the city, causing backups on roads, including the Julia Tuttle and McArthur Causeways.

City officials said the reopening delay was to allow inspections to be made to make sure all was safe and the roads were cleared.

Local 10 spoke with many residents who were relieved to find their homes intact, although most, if not all, are without power.

However, the city appeared to make it through Irma relatively unscathed.

With power still down, most businesses remain closed, although David's Coffee Shop was open and serving a packed room full of customers.

A curfew will be in place Tuesday night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Wednesday with liquor sales ending at 11 p.m.