Florida
Storm cleanup underway as South Florida prepares for another round of severe weather:
From Sunday through Monday, South Florida is under a NEXT Weather Alert because of showers and storms moving throughout the region both afternoons.
Numerous severe thunderstorms were reported between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, before the skies began to quiet down for the rest of the night. However, storms are expected to develop again by midday Monday.
Storm impact in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties
In one video obtained by CBS News Miami, rain is shown falling hard on Sunday afternoon on Florida’s Turnpike near Kendall and Sunset Drive, while another video shows rain turning a parking lot of a Pompano Beach strip mall into a pond.
Sunday’s rain slowed down big events across South Florida, such as the Miami Grand Prix’s all-female F1 Academy racing series. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels had to shorten their demonstration at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show as well because of the inclement weather.
The University of Miami had to cancel Sunday’s series finale against North Carolina State due to the weather and campus police issued an emergency message to students and staff about seeking shelter during Sunday’s severe thunderstorms.
Miami Beach city officials urged its residents to report any flooding in their neighborhoods by calling the MB Control Room at (305) 673-7625 or by sending photos to flooding@miamibeachfl.gov. Additionally, Miami Beach said its residents can park in the municipal parking garages from 2 p.m. Sunday until 9 a.m. Monday and will not be charged with proof of residency.
Large trees uprooted by strong winds in South Miami neighborhood
Across South Florida, some people saw damage from Sunday’s storms.
In South Miami, a large tree fell down on a traffic circle near Southwest 74th Street and 63rd Avenue (Manor Lane), temporarily closing the roads for all vehicular traffic.
Crews had been out the for several hours, chopping down the tree. Sunday’s winds were so strong that they uprooted it.
Jorge Padial, who lived nearby where the tree fell, told CBS News Miami that it had been there for nearly 100 years.
“I’m surprised because we never expected this,” he said.
The massive tree uprooted and toppled over, knocking down power lines and blocking the road for parts of Sunday afternoon.
“We had massive storms [Sunday],” said Ron Von-Paulus of Big Ron Tree Service. “The flooding — have you ever stood on the beach and the waves wash your feet and you watch for a second, there the sand is no longer solid, it’s liquid? And we had so much flooding here that it happened to a massive tree. The roots 40 to 50 mile-per-hour gusts just blew the tree over.”
Florida Power & Light crews worked with heavy equipment to chop down the huge branches caught in Mother Nature’s wrath.
Just a few blocks away, a similar situation unfolded. Keyvon Antonio Heydari was home when the storm hit around 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
“I go outside, and I start to film, and I see hail, and] I see the tree went down,” he told CBS News Miami. “I see kind of like an abnormal storm, you know, and then there were winds.”
Winds were so strong that it yanked another tree from its roots near Southwest 72nd Street and 75th Avenue.
Jeanette Perez told CBS News Miami she was getting home just minutes after it happened.
“I saw the street completely blocked, so I had to continue going around,” Perez said. “Obviously, I saw the tree blocking the street, and when you drove in and you saw this.
When CBS News Miami asked for her reaction, Perez said: “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what are we gonna do?’ It looked like a hurricane.”
Other neighbors, walking out after the storm, described what they heard and saw on Sunday.
“The wind went sideways, and it was just the darkness, [the] skies, all hell broke loose,” said resident Teresita DeBlank. “And the lightning was beyond description. My poor dog didn’t know where to hide.”
“Oh my God, well, like something happened, something went down, and the electricity went down, and then you walk outside and you see this,” added Isolina Alonso, another resident. “Yeah, it’s incredible. It’s a first for me to see something like this in my street.”
Close to a dozen FPL crews arrived to the scene and secured the downed power lines tangled up in the trees.
Officials told CBS News Miami that they plan to reopen the roads by midnight Monday. Meanwhile, they’re asking residents who have large trees to trim them before hurricane season begins.
One of the homeowners was also told by city officials that she has to check with her insurance and the City of South Miami because the tree was on her property.
Florida
Federal judge blocks DeSantis executive order declaring CAIR a 'terrorist organization'
Florida
Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip
Four days into the Iranian conflict, gas prices are rising at many stations in South Florida.
“I’ve traveled all over the United States,” says Stacey Williams. CBS Miami spoke to him as he was gassing up on the turnpike. He paid $66 for 20 gallons of diesel to fill his pickup truck. Williams has noted the fluctuations in fuel as he drives to locations for his work on turbines. He just spent three weeks at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant south of Miami.
“The salary we get paid per hour does not add up to what we pay for gas, housing, and food,” he says.
Mitchell Gershon is also dealing with the higher gas prices. He has to fill three vehicles constantly for his business—Thrifty Gypsy, a pop-up store at musical venues. He’s back and forth from Orlando to Miami and says fuel is costing him 20% more. When asked how he handles these fluctuations, he said, “Have a little backup cash so you are ready for it.”
The rise in oil prices contributed to a drop in the stock market on Tuesday, which means some retirement accounts dipped, too. CBS Miami talked to Chad NeSmith, director of investments at Tobias Financial Advisors in Plantation, for perspective on the drop.
“We are seeing most of the pullback today. Yesterday was a shock,” he says. He’s not expecting runaway oil prices but says investors should stay in the loop: “Pay attention to your portfolio. Stick to your goals. Have a plan because these things are completely unpredictable.”
That unpredictability has Williams adjusting his budget. “You just cut back, cut corners, all you can do,” he says.
Florida
Man convicted of 1991 fatal shooting of a police officer is set to be executed in Florida
STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.
Billy Leon Kearse, 53, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Kearse was initially sentenced to death in 1991 after being convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.
Kearse awoke at 6:30 a.m. He declined a last meal and has remained compliant throughout the day, corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said during a news conference. Kearse met with a spiritual adviser during the day but had no other visitors.
This is Florida’s third execution scheduled for 2026, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The highest number before then was eight executions in both 1984 and 2014, under former governors Bob Graham and Rick Scott, respectively.
According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in January 1991. When Kearse couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license, Parrish ordered Kearse out of his vehicle and attempted to handcuff him.
A struggle ensued, and Kearse grabbed Parrish’s firearm, prosecutors said. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. A nearby taxi driver heard the shots and used Parrish’s radio to call for help.
Parrish was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from the gunshot wounds, officials said. Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by Kearse. His attorneys had argued that he was unconstitutionally deprived of a fair penalty phase and that his intellectual disability makes his execution unconstitutional.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kearse’s final appeals Tuesday afternoon without comment.
A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis, far outpacing Alabama, South Carolina and Texas which each held five executions.
Besides the two Florida executions this year, Texas and Oklahoma have each executed one person so far.
Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for this month. Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to die on March 17, and the execution of James Aren Duckett, 68, is set for March 31.
All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin3 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland4 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Florida4 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks