Gusty winds knock down power lines, trees in South Florida

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Gusty winds have been a nuisance for residents across South Florida all day Friday.

Six power poles toppled in Miami Gardens as gusts topped 40 miles per hour in some areas.

“This time of year, you think you’re scot-free after hurricane season, and no, that’s not the case,” said resident Daniel Hernandez.

The poles came down in the area of Northwest 193rd Street and 39th Court.

7News cameras captured a downed pole that took down a small fence in front of a home.

“I heard the pole crash and then the power went out,” Stacy King said.

King had to face some challenges when he headed out to work.

Power was knocked out in the neighborhood.

Several roads were shut down by Miami Gardens Police due to debris and power lines.

“I thought it was a transformer in the back, ’cause that’s usually what happens,” King said. “Then my daughter called me and said that the pole fell in the front of the house.”

“I went to the grocery store again, I came home, and then is what I found,” said resident Helena Robinson.

Over in Miami Shores, a tree snapped and landed on top of a car causing the windshield to crack.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue went door-to-door to ensure every resident was safe. They urged them to stay indoors as crews worked to clean up.

“I didn’t know that this wind was blowing like this,” King said. “I came outside like twice today, and it wasn’t this bad. All of the sudden, boom. So I’m shocked.”

In Pembroke Pines, police advised motorists to avoid Pembroke Road and Southwest 129th Avenue earlier in the afternoon after a power line came down.

The power outage resulted in dangerous conditions for some.

“My mom is elderly. I got a son. We have no heat,” Robinson said. “It’s cold.”

Robinson is now demanding answers.

“I might as well get the garbage can and start dragging my food out right now,” she said. “We need to know how long this process is gonna take, and who’s gonna pay for all this damage out here on people’s properties.”

The frustrations were felt in South Beach as well.

“It was so windy,” a woman said.

As winds began to die down, the cold arrived. Restaurants along Ocean Drive brought out fire pits to keep customers warm as temperatures were expected to dive down to the lower 50s.

“I was not expecting this,” the woman said. “I didn’t even plan for this. I literally had to go to the store and buy a sweatshirt.”

Florida Power & Light reported that as many as 4,900 customers in Miami-Dade lost power, as of 9 p.m.

That number was significantly lower in Broward County, where just over 1,170 customers experienced outages.

Officers in Fort Lauderdale responded to direct traffic at South Andrews Avenue and Davie Boulevard after the traffic lights lost power.

FPL officials said they are working with AT&T to repair the power poles. However, it’s unclear when power will be restored to those affected.

As a result of the hazardous wind conditions, the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for all of mainland South Florida. That advisory has since been cancelled.

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.