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Clean up continues Saturday after flooding triggers rescues in parts of South Florida

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Clean up continues Saturday after flooding triggers rescues in parts of South Florida


Elderly residents and families were rescued from high water in North Miami Friday as authorities announced that shelters were open and deployed pumps to help drain the flooding.

On Saturday, a flood watch remains in place for Miami-Dade and Broward counties. See all weather alerts here.

NBC6 reporters witnessed over 14 people being rescued from their flooded homes by NE 144th Street in North Miami Friday. Some were rushed to the hospital and others were taken to a recently opened shelter.

“First of all, you can’t drive down the street… All their belongings are wet. Every house on this street is damaged,” North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme said at the scene.  

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One family of five finally got the help they desperately needed when marine rescue crews plowed through several feet of water and brought them to safety. 

Over 20 homes on just one street could be seen surrounded by filthy brown water.

The same scene played out across the area, including for an elderly couple whose clothes and furniture are covered in soil. 

“That’s my wife. She’s blind. She has diabetes and she’s blind,” one man said as he showed NBC6 his flooded home. 

The family said they had nowhere to go and were essentially trapped in those conditions. 

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Others took to shelters, like one woman who was stranded in her waterlogged car with her four children.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has deployed about 100 pumps in addition to what cities and counties are using to try to clear water from streets.

Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said while flooding was extensive, there were no reports of destroyed homes and very few of severely damaged homes. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported.

“We don’t think there’s going to be enough damage to necessarily qualify for a federal disaster declaration,” DeSantis said. But he added the storms may have affected enough business to qualify for Small Business Administration assistance.

NBC6’s Chelsea Ambriz has your forecast for today, Saturday, June 15, 2024.

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Is the worst over?

Although more rain could trigger additional isolated Florida flooding on Friday, forecasters say the strong, persistent storms that dumped up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) in southern parts of the state appear to have passed.

Officials said that though some neighborhood streets in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas still have standing water, it is rapidly receding.

“The worst flooding risk was the last three days,” said Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami. “The heaviest rainfall has concluded.”

The no-name storm system pushed across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico at roughly the same time as the early June start of hurricane season, which this year is forecast to be among the most active in recent memory amid concerns that climate change is increasing storm intensity.

DeSantis held a media briefing in Hollywood, south of Fort Lauderdale, and said while more rain was coming, it’s likely to be more typical of South Florida afternoon showers this time of year.

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“We are going to get some more rain today, maybe throughout the balance of the weekend. Hopefully it’s not approaching the levels that it was, but we have a lot of resources staged here and we’ll be able to offer the state’s assistance,” he said.

The downpours hit Tuesday and continued into Wednesday, delaying flights at two of the state’s largest airports and leaving vehicles waterlogged and stalled in some of the region’s lowest-lying streets. The main problem was hundreds of vehicles that were stranded on streets as people were unable to navigate the flood waters.

“Looked like the beginning of a zombie movie,” said Ted Rico, a tow truck driver who spent much of Wednesday night and Thursday morning helping to clear the streets of stalled vehicles. “There’s cars littered everywhere, on top of sidewalks, in the median, in the middle of the street, no lights on. Just craziness, you know. Abandoned cars everywhere.”

Rico, of One Master Trucking Corp., was born and raised in Miami and said he was ready for the emergency.

“You know when its coming,” he said. “Every year it’s just getting worse, and for some reason people just keep going through the puddles.”

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In Aventura, north of Miami, Juan Gomez, a 27-year resident of South Florida, has never seen flooding as severe as the recent storm that hit his rental unit. He said Friday he is preparing for future storms, having experienced firsthand the devastating effects of flooding on his property Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We were taking water from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. that night. And we did as much as we could. Yeah, but still some furniture got damaged. Some of the kitchen cabinets and the bathroom cabinets got damaged because of the water and the material in the floors, definitely, they need to be changed,” Gomez said.

“So it is hard and we have to be prepared,” he added. “We are going to be more prepared. In fact, we are trying to get some supplies if something comes in the few next weeks. So, like sandbags, more supplies to be prepared.”



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Miami, FL

Tributes grow as police investigate Hollywood Beach killing

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Tributes grow as police investigate Hollywood Beach killing



New details are emerging in the death of a woman whose body was found on Hollywood Beach the day after Christmas.

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Police say 56‑year‑old Heather Asendorf was discovered by a passerby. People who frequent the beach say she was a familiar sight at the bandshell near Margaritaville, where she danced most nights in brightly lit shoes.

Harrison, a frequent visitor who did not want to give his last name, said he saw her nearly every day.

“She was very friendly, polite. She loved to dance,” he said.

Suspect arrested four days later

Four days after she was found, Hollywood police arrested 28‑year‑old Brandon McCray and charged him with sexual battery, kidnapping, and battery by strangulation.

McCray was taken into custody at a Hollywood motel off Federal Highway. His permanent address is listed in Coconut Creek, where no one answered the door when approached for comment about his arrest.

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Police are still working to determine how Asendorf’s path crossed with McCray’s.

Tributes pour in from friends

Tributes for Asendorf are pouring in, especially from the annual State College Townie Reunion community in central Pennsylvania, where she had deep roots.

Among the messages shared:

  • “A beautiful friend forever in our hearts.”

  • “Unforgettable. A sweet soul.”

  • “I still can’t wrap my mind around this one. She was so amazing.”

  • “One of our shining stars has left the stage.”

Investigation remains active

Hollywood police say their investigation is ongoing, and McCray could face additional charges as detectives continue to piece together what happened.

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Ole Miss S Nick Cull’s targeting call reversed vs Miami in Peach Bowl

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Ole Miss S Nick Cull’s targeting call reversed vs Miami in Peach Bowl


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Mississippi football’s Nick Cull avoided an ejection during the College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday, Jan. 8.

As Malachi Toney reeled in a catch from Carson Beck at the Miami 49 in the first quarter, he was hit by Cull in a helmet-to-helmet collision. Right away, the officials flagged Cull for targeting, with both Toney and Cull staying down on the field with an injury.

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After officials reviewed the play, the call on the field was overturned, as the officials determined that Cull did not launch and the collision seemed to be incidental. Replay assistant Matt Austin concurred with the call on the field.

The play had a major impact on the game as well. If the call had been upheld, Miami would have had the ball at the Ole Miss 34-yard line with a chance to expand its 3-0 lead. However, a few plays later, the Hurricanes were forced to punt from the 49-yard line.

On the first play of the second quarter, Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacey scored on a 73-yard run to give the Rebels a 7-3 lead.

Because he was not called for targeting, Cull was not ejected from the game, which means Ole Miss will have him for the remainder of the game, if he can clear the concussion protocol. He was in the tent following the play.

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Cull has 15 total tackles and three pass deflections this season for the Rebels.

Meanwhile, Toney went to the medical tent briefly for the Hurricanes, but returned to the game.



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Crash involving unmarked Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office vehicle impacts morning commute

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Crash involving unmarked Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office vehicle impacts morning commute



A crash involving an unmarked Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office vehicle was reported in Northwest Miami-Dade on Thursday morning, and the morning commute was impacted as a result.

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Few details have been released, but the crash was reported in the area of Northwest 79th street and Interstate 95.

Video from the scene showed that the vehicles had heavy damage.

The sheriff’s office said the crash also involved a civilian vehicle, and no injuries were reported.

No other information was released. 

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