Parts of South Florida were hit by heavy rains, local flooding and wind on Saturday, while a system of storms that had previously hit Mexico swept across the state.
Miami officials warned drivers of road conditions as many cars were trapped on flooded streets.
“This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. It is not recommended to travel in these conditions. It is better to wait. Turn around, do not drown,” tweeted the city of Miami.
The city was towing stranded vehicles from flooded roads. At least one tree had fallen on a house in Pompano Beach, displacing its residents, according to CBS Miami.
Tow trucks pass by abandoned cars on a flooded street caused by a rainstorm from a tropical storm that passed through the area on June 4, 2022 in Miami, Florida. The system dumped at least six to 10 inches of rain in the area causing flooding. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The Miami National Hurricane Center said the storm, formerly known as Agatha in the Pacific Ocean, will be known as Alex in the Atlantic Ocean Basin if it reaches tropical storm status.
At 23:00 ET, the center of the storm was about 145 miles east-northeast of Fort Pierce, Florida, and about 840 miles west-southwest of Bermuda. It was moving northeast at 20 mph with sustained maximum winds of 45 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm is expected to reach tropical or subtropical storm strength on Sunday, NHC said. The NHC noted that further strengthening was possible, but said a gradual weakening of the system was expected “early next week”.
In Cuba, the storm killed three people, damaged dozens of homes in Havana and cut off electricity in some areas, according to authorities. Heavy rains continued on Saturday, but were declining as the weather system moved away from the island.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said most government services, such as bus and train routes, are scheduled to operate normally over the weekend. Channel levels in South Florida have been reduced to minimize flooding from heavy rains.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on Tuesday. This is an unusually early start to the stormy season, but not without precedent for Florida.
The National Hurricane Center predicts rainfall of up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in South Florida, including the Florida Keys. The storm is not expected to produce strong winds or high tides. But local floods are likely to occur.