Flooding continued in portions of Miami Beach Friday due to higher than average tide levels.
One of the worst hits was on 5th Street and Alton Road where pools of water remained after Thursday's flooding.
Water levels reached about one-foot high in some areas, leaving roads dangerous for drivers and a nuisance for those trying to walk through the beach. A Miami Beach spokesperson said drainage improvements would be addressed in the Alton Road Project.
Those wading through the water on foot were mainly concerned about sanitation.
"I’ve seen people going into it with their flip flops and I mean just look at it, it’s nasty," resident Armando Ramirez Perez said. "I mean, I'm sure people can get sick from it."
The dirty water proved unappealing to Miami Beach visitors as well.
“I don’t know whether it's water or drainage or sewage, whatever," visitor Bas Lebesque said. "It’s dirty, it’s not good.”
The flooding also affected traffic into local businesses.
"Sometimes I’m driving around and I’m like no I’m not going to go through there today,” Ramirez Perez said.
Aside from the negative impact on businesses, mechanics said the water can damage cars and make it dangerous for drivers to get around.
"What it does is it makes the steering hard in the vehicle very dangerous," mechanic George Diaz said. "The knuckle snaps and you loose your steering.”
The water damage to cars can be permanent, he said.
"Several engines come in and they are completely locked up in water damage," Diaz said. "It will damage an engine to the point to where a car has to be totaled."
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The best way to avoid car damage is to drive slowly, according to Diaz.
The National Weather Service refers to the phenomenon as "spring tide," not because of the season, but because it is common for water levels to spring up in September and October.
The high tides will continue through the weekend, affecting the east coast on the bay and intracoastal side of the barrier islands, according to the NWS. Some minor flooding was also expected in Fort Lauderdale.
The next high tide will be at 8:35 p.m. Friday.
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