What to Know
- Tropical Storm Gordon moved through South Florida, unleashing heavy rain and winds that triggered power outages and closed beaches.
- A Flood Watch was in effect for South Florida in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties for several hours.
Heavy rain and winds battered South Florida on Monday as Tropical Storm Gordon moved west towards the Gulf Coast, causing power outages, flight delays and temporarily closing beaches during Labor Day.
Gordon formed into a tropical storm near the Florida Keys early Monday as it moved west-northwest. It is expected to strengthen into a hurricane when it hits the Gulf Coast, including coastal Mississippi, by late Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center issued Tropical Storm Warnings for portions of South Florida and the Florida Keys that were later canceled in the early evening. A Flood Watch for Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties were also discontinued Monday evening. Though "some lingering flooding concerns (overnight) remain," the overall threat has diminished, according to the National Weather Service.
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As of the National Hurricane Center's 5 a.m. advisory, Gordon has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. The center of the storm will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Monday night and Tuesday and will approach the north-central Gulf Coast late Tuesday afternoon or evening.
Gordon is expected to gradually strengthen during the next 24 hours and is forecast to be a hurricane when it makes landfall along the north-central Gulf Coast, according to the NWS. It will rapidly weaken when it moves inland.
In South Florida, Miami-Dade County's beaches were closed due to the high risk of rip currents and "unfavorable weather conditions." Crandon and Haulover beaches reopened late afternoon, but officials still recommended swimmers to avoid the water.
All county beaches are expected to reopen, fully operational, by Tuesday, according to fire rescue.
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was experiencing more than 200 delays and up to six cancellations Monday. Miami International Airport said operations remained normal, though some flights have been delayed.
Florida Power & Light reported thousands of outages across South Florida. At one point, over 3,100 in Miami-Dade County were without power, while less than 2,000 residents were affected by outages in Broward.
According to the NHC's 5 a.m. advisory, a Storm Surge Warning was in effect for Shell Beach to Dauphin Island, along with a Storm Surge Watch for west of Shell Beach to the mouth of the Mississippi River and east of Dauphin Island to Navarre, according to the NHC.
A Hurricane Warning was in effect for Mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama-Florida border.
Local
Additionally, a Tropical Storm Warning was issued for west of the Mouth of the Pearl River to east of Morgan City, Louisiana, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, as well as the Alabama-Florida border to the Okaloosa-Walton County Line.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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