NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - Residents in North Miami and Northeast Miami-Dade faced devastating impacts from heavy downpours this week, with homes destroyed, streets flooded, and families left with nowhere to go.
The deluge brought 6 inches of water into homes on Northeast 144th Street, soaking and soiling belongings. Many residents are unable to return to their homes, forced to sit back and watch as the water rises.
“We’re on a septic system, so everything comes up,” one resident said.
The heavy flooding left cars stalled and roads impassable. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews have been actively checking on people in the affected areas, including along Northeast 14th Avenue.
“It’s catastrophic, it’s very bad,” a resident described the situation.
7Skyforce captured footage of a dramatic rescue in North Miami, where a woman was stuck inside her car.
As the area continues to grapple with the aftermath, many residents are shocked by what they are witnessing. They are now trying to figure out what’s next before another round of heavy rain hits.
“We are going to get sandbags,” one resident said, preparing for the incoming weather.
7News captured 11-year-old Somaya Ferdinand as she waded through thigh-high water outside her home along 144th Street in Northeast Miami-Dade.
“I’m scared, and I think I’m going to lose my house,” she said.
Ferdinand’s yard looked more like a lake. Belongings were floating outside; once prized possessions were pulled from the standing water.
“Food, clothes, shoes,” she said.
This is the reality Ferdinand and her family are facing, after rounds of rain pounded the area.
The damage inside Ferdinand’s home is even more severe.
Cameras captured her father gathering items of clothing and putting them in a bag that is still dry to take with them.
Inside their bathroom, the bathtub and toiler were overflowing with soiled water.
In Ferdinand’s bedroom, her perfumes and lotions were on a table just inches away from the standing water, and her mattress was just barely above the water.
Looking at her kitchen, Ferdinand and her family are concerned, because most of their items are now inedible. The 11-year-old filled a small backpack with snacks.
Arm in arm with 7News reporter Olivia DiVenti, Ferdinand navigated the floodwaters as she waded away from her home.
“It looked like a swimming pool, and I am scared,” she said.
Meanwhile, her father went back inside their house hoping to grab more valuables before another round of rain comes.
Ferdinand and her family will be spending the night in a hotel. Meanwhile, the community is bracing for more challenges, as the forecast predicts additional rainfall.
Residents are urged to stay informed through local media and official channels for updates on weather conditions and safety measures.
Ferdinand said her family rents out the now flooded house, but she hopes the homeowner sees this story and is able to make repairs to the place they have called home for so long.
The Ferdinand family has set up a GoFundMe page. if you would like to make a donation, click here.
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