City Of Hallandale Offers Free Sandbags After Flooding Rains
HALLANDALE (CBSMiami) - Hours of relentless rain in Hallandale left hundreds of drivers stranded.
"We were right in the middle and the car just died," said Ramon Bueno.
Tow trucks were busy with so many cars stopped or stalled, Hallandale Beach Boulevard looked like a cross between a parking lot and a lake. Some people walked or biked through the high waters. One person used a kayak.
The waters took out a sea wall behind Dory Latimer's apartment complex. She was supposed to fly to Vegas Friday night, but her parking lot flooded. She waited outside the complex with her luggage which they struggled to keep dry. "We carried it up on our heads," she explained.
The water was so high in the parking lot of Marla Brand's office on Hallandale Beach Boulevard, she was stuck at work for hours along with her coworkers.
"Doctors, surgical nurses, secretaries we all just stayed in one office and in the lobby and we were just helping patients and reassuring them," she said.
The City of Hallandale is urging residents not to drive unless absolutely necessary.
Drivers who did try to brave the high waters often ended up stuck, left to rely on the kindness of strangers.
"These three guys who are here they've helped everyone. They took their clothes off, shoes off, and just helped everyone," said Bueno, adding, "Thank you to all three of them."
Werlie Zimmerer was one of the men helping to push stalled cars out of the water.
"I just realized other people needed help so I just dropped everything and decided to give them a hand," he said.
The city is offering free sandbags to residents Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. until noon at the Public Works Compound at 630 NW 2nd Street.
