Parts of South Florida woke up to heavy rain and intense wind Tuesday morning, fueling the already strong king tide that returned in full force. The Earth’s gravitational pull forces water from the sea and sewers onto land. In Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk, rising water cascaded over the sea wall and interrupted many on their morning walks, though some made the most of it. “All par of the course when you live in South Florida,” said Jodie Wasserman. “And, it’s better than a hurricane.” Drivers on Las Olas Boulevard were forced to turn around, though some plowed through while others stalled out. “No Wake” signs went up in the road at Las Olas Boulevard and Isle of Palms Drive, warning drivers to slow down. 7Skyforce captured significant flooding and stranded cars along Riviera Isle Drive. One homeowner in the neighborhood resorted to a kayak. “Don’t mind me. It’s probably the worst I’ve ever seen it. So, I’ve been here for five years and it breached my seawall by four inches,” he said. “It’s never even come close before, so something’s up.” Further south, Miami Beach also experienced flooding on Tuesday. A stretch of North Bay Road was closed as it remained submerged. On the 5300 Block of Collins Avenue, a bus powered through the flooded street, looking like a cruise ship. 7Skyforce captured the bridge on Las Olas Boulevard and Seabreeze Boulevard closed to traffic in both directions due to standing water. Vehicles heading east to the beach are forced to turn around and go back west. Fort Lauderdale saw its highest tide levels Tuesday morning. “The Intercoastal seems like it’s in our backyard right now,” said a resident. “That’s only going to get worse over time,” said another resident. Parts of Victoria Park were underwater. Monica tried to take her mother to a doctor’s appointment when her car stalled. “Today was particularly really high,” she said. “She had an appointment, so we drove through the water. Next thing you know, the car shut off.” As of Tuesday afternoon, the water began to recede. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said they have high-clearance vehicles deployed throughout the city, already responding to several calls about high water and pulling people from flooded homes. 7News cameras captured a home in Hollywood with its seawall completely buried, which, according to the homeowner, happens occasionally with high tides. “I mean, I love it. I’ve been coming to this beach for 40-some years,” said the homeowner, Irene Mano. Mano loved the beach so much, she and her husband bought a home right on the beach 16 years ago. With each storm and king tide, she has watched the water inch closer and closer to her home, leaving a big pile of sand up against her patio. “We’re going to have to, like, dig it out. We’re going to have to dig out all my drains right here, clean up this whole mess,” said Mano. From above, the tide was seen up against her neighbors’ patios. Further south down Hollywood Beach, crews worked against wet sand to pull a lifeguard stand away from the water Tuesday morning. On South Ocean Drive near Hollywood Boulevard, motorists struggled to drive through, while crews tried to pump out water. Mano said she does not panic when the tides come in, but she does have a lot to clean up. “I mean, the water recedes enough that we have a large beach again, but over time it just disappears,” she said. “You know, they’re going to have to, I don’t know what they’re going to do.” She said she’s feeling confident, because once it recedes, things are definitely better. However, it is an overall concern for Florida. Officials said out of the state’s hundreds of miles of beaches, half are considered critically eroded. A flood warning is in effect through Wednesday evening for Miami-Dade and Broward, and a coastal flood warning is in effect for the Florida Keys. More king tides are expected to begin across South Florida at around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday. ...read more read less