Flooding, Power Outages Caused By Tropical Storm Eta

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL — As Tropical Storm Eta moves away from South Florida, power outages and flooding remain a concern in Miami-Dade County.

From Sunday through Monday morning, Florida Power & Light restored power for more than 270,000 South Florida residents, said Bryan Garner, director of communications, at a news conference on Monday. More than 12,000 out-of-state line workers joined FPL crews “work(ing) overnight and around the clock to restore power in between bands of severe weather,” he added.

By 10 a.m. Monday, FPL had restored power for 90 percent of their customers impacted by the storm at that point, and only around 39,000 remained without power, he said.

Garner said that Eta is “a very ragged storm with winds up to 65 mph.” He also noted that “some of the strongest winds” have been felt more than 300 miles from the storm’s center.

Though the storm is moving southwest into the Gulf of Mexico, it’s projected to shift north toward Florida again after Tuesday. With the storm expected to turn back, Garner said that he expects power outages to “continue over the next couple of days as bands of severe weather continue to move through the state.”

He warned that Floridians shouldn’t “underestimate” Eta.

“A lot of people underestimate the power of a tropical storm because the winds are somewhat lower speed than a hurricane,” Garner said. “However, this is a very messy storm. As I mentioned, it’s a storm that’s widespread with high winds extending more than 300 miles from the center. We’ve also seen heavy rains — up to 7 to 9 inches of rain — in parts of our service territory. All these things cause challenges, including debris blowing into our lines.”

Those experiencing power outages don’t need to alert FPL, he added. The company’s smart grid technology allows workers to easily determine areas with no power. Downed power lines and other emergency situations can be reported by calling FPL at 800-4-OUTAGE (468-8243).

Flooding remains an issue in Miami-Dade County

Though the tropical storm warning for South Florida has expired, Miami-Dade County’s office of emergency management said that urban and flash flooding remain a problem in the county.

“The primary concerns are urban (and) flash flooding due to torrential rainfall, strong wind gusts (and) dangerous marine conditions through the day. We advise residents to stay home (and) do not drive through flooded waters,” the emergency management office tweeted Monday morning.

Most of the flooding is in the northwestern and southern portions of the county, said a spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

“Drone & Air Rescue teams are assessing possible damage as a result of flooding from Tropical Storm #Eta throughout Miami-Dade,” the department tweeted on Monday. “Remember, DO NOT walk, bike or drive through flooded waters as you don't know what dangers can be hidden underneath such as debris or downed wires.”

Miami saw flooding in several areas Monday morning, said Miami Police Department Public Information Officer Kiara Delva. Flooded areas and intersections in Miami include:

• Biscayne Boulevard to NE 2nd Avenue and 11th Street
• Biscayne Boulevard and NE 17th Street
• Biscayne Boulevard and NE 15th Street
• I-395 at the Biscayne Boulevard exit
• NW 24th Ave and 36th Street
• NW 13th Ave and 20th Street
• South Bayshore Drive at Kennedy Park
• South Dixie Highway and 17th through 19th avenues
• South Dixie Highway and Grand Avenue
• Seminole Boat Ramp
• Tigertail Avenue and Mary Street to SW 27th Avenue
• Mary Street and Florida Avenue
• NW 45th Avenue under State Road 836
• South Miami Avenue and SW 18th to 19th streets
• SW 3rd Avenue and 24th Road
• NW 10th Avenue and 2nd to 3rd streets
• NW 14th Avenue and 3rd to 4th streets
• NW 15th Avenue and 8th Street
• NW 17th Avenue and 7th Street through South River Drive

Trees also came down at two intersections, Delva said: Day Avenue and Hibiscus Road, and NE 15th Terrace and Biscayne Boulevard.

“With this information in mind, we’re urging everyone to use extreme caution and avoid the above-mentioned areas until further notice,” she said.