MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Parts of South Florida were cleaning up one day after Tropical Storm Isaias brought some strong winds and sporadic downpours to the region, as beachgoers breathed a collective sigh of relief over being largely spared from the powerful storm.
Although the system, downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm on Saturday, swept past the area without making landfall, residents said one should always be ready.
“Being a Floridian, we need to prepare for this sort of thing,” said Fort Lauderdale resident Liz Schmidt.
Sunday evening, beachgoers did not let some rain prevent them from going on walks, runs and even a sit-down dinner outdoors, as they took in the picturesque South Beach sunset.
Those who spoke with 7News said they were relieved by the outcome.
“We’re just celebrating that nothing happened,” said a passer-by.
“The skies are beautiful. It’s not windy, it’s not hot, it’s not cold. It’s great,” said visitor Jordan Samson.
Schmidt was also thankful that things didn’t turn out worse.
“It’s nice that we didn’t have anything happen. It’s good,” she said.
“Obviously, we dodged a huge bullet,” said Dr. Jeremy Earle, Hallandale Beach’s city manager.
Crews in Hallandale Beach and other coastal cities continued precautionary cleanup efforts on Sunday.
“This morning, the storm did not hit, but again, our teams were out from 6 o’clock this morning picking up more debris, more trash,” said Earle.
Earlier this week, Hallandale Beach also gave out sandbags to residents. Officials are asking not to get rid of them yet.
“Our intention is for our residents to hold on to these sandbags, at least until the end of the hurricane season and the king tide season,” said Alyssa Jones Wood, the coordinator for Hallandale Beach’s Green Initiative program.
Early Saturday, the weather was relatively calm and mild.
On Fort Lauderdale Beach, crowds took advantage of the sunshine to hit the sand and get some exercise.
“I’m trying to get out here before the storm comes around,” said Fort Lauderdale resident Cassius Moore.
But the weather took intermittent turns for the worse, as downpours sent beachgoers running for cover.
“I knew it was coming, but I thought it was a bit later, and I didn’t think that it can change very suddenly,” said Badderdine Kerkeni.
Even when Isaias’ outer bands brought in some rain, some residents who spoke to 7News were not fazed by the inclement weather.
“This is actually more fun, when it’s raining, to run,” said Fort Lauderdale resident Ken Baszto.
Because many cities only saw minimal impacts, officials gave the green light to reopen some beaches, like Fort Lauderdale Beach and Hallandale Beach, Sunday.
“We immediately were able to open up today, because of the preparations that we’d made,” said Earle.
However parks in Miami-Dade and Broward counties will remain closed until Monday, and many COVID-19 resting sties are not scheduled to reopen until Tuesday.
For more information on openings and closings in South Florida due to Tropical Storm Isaias, click here.
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