It’s beginning to look at lot like … hurricane season — at least across much of South Florida, where it’s been windy and rainy for the past two days with the forecast predicting more of the same this busy holiday season weekend.
Saturday was stormy across most of the state forcing outdoor holiday parties to be cancelled. Outside decorations that aren’t battened down were likely to blow away.
The mass of wind and rain is expected to head up the east coast just in time for the start of the holiday travel season.
‘Saturday is a complete washout as this disturbance moves over,’ said George Rizzuto, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Miami. ‘The northern part of Florida will be at risk for some pretty heavy rainfall through the entire day.’
Universal Orlando Resort’s Volcano Bay waterpark shut down for the day due to the weather.
Sybil and Stella, a pair of bearded collies, go for a morning walk in high winds near the intersection of Worth Ave. and S. Ocean Blvd in Miami on Saturday
The Juno Beach Pier is slammed by big waves in Juno Beach, Florida. The National Weather Service forecast sustained winds of 30-40 mph and seas of 10-15 foot waves
Miami’s palm trees look a little bent out of shape in the strong winds. Bob Givehchi, left, and his son Daniel, 8, are seen visiting Miami for the first time, walking past debris and palm trees at Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables, Florida
Waves pound the Lake Worth Inlet next to the pump house in Palm Beach Shore, Florida
Visitors to the Southernmost Point buoy take photos as the waves splash in Key West, as squalls of rain and wind batter the Florida Keys
Holiday events across the state were canceled, such as the Christmas boat parade in Indian Rocks Beach along the Gulf Coast. ‘See you next year,’ the town website said.
At least five boat parades were canceled or postponed in South Florida, including the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade in Fort Lauderdale.
Several outdoor holiday events were canceled, from South Florida up into the rest of the peninsula. That included Saturday’s Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade and at least four other similar events across the region, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
‘The safety and well-being of our participants and spectators are of utmost importance to us,’ Winterfest organizers said on their website. ‘The inclement weather conditions, beyond our control, make it impossible to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.’
Rizzuto said winds of 20 to 30 mph were expected across much of the coastline, with gusts up to 45 mph.
Florida and the East Coast are bearing the brunt of heavy rainfall, flooding, and gusty winds throughout the region
The storm could spawn a few tornadoes and is set to bring up to six inches of rain to Florida
Major cities such as Washington D.C., New York, and Boston could see rainfall ranging from two to four inches
The storm made landfall in Florida on Saturday, and is moving north along the East Coast, reaching as far as New England on Sunday
The storm will eventually move off the east coast throughout Monday
Coastal areas run the risk of flooding due to the sheer amount of rainfall
Rain is forecast all along the eastern seaboard throughout the weekend
Gale warnings were issued along the coast with Rizzuto advising boaters to take extra precaution.
‘Out there over the water, you can expect some pretty rough seas with some wave heights around 12 to 15 feet,’ he said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday activated the new Florida State Guard, a civilian volunteer organization created last year, to assist with any storm impacts from such things as flooding and high winds.
‘The Florida State Guard plays an essential role in Florida’s preparation for and swift response to severe weather,’ the Republican governor explained.
One Christmas event at Disney World was cancelled as a result of the inclement weather
Wingfoiler Billy Padrino takes to the water on Rickenbacker Causeway beach blown along by storm force winds
A person fishes on the Newport Fishing Pier in Sunny Isles Beach as gusty winds and heavy rain pounds the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach areas
Coconut trees are battered by heavy winds along the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami as near tropical storm-force wind gusts batter the area
A group of friends brave the high winds to observe the ocean and take pictures at Midtown Beach
Subha Gaja, Tamil Azh, Vaishu Sank, and Asha Bora, of North Carolina, walk through the waves crashing on the shore as a cargo ship departs the Port of Miami
The Miami (Ohio) band plays as rain pours down throughout the first half of the Cure Bowl NCAA college football game against Appalachian State, on Saturday in Orlando
By Saturday night, the storm was expected to be moving into southeast Georgia and then move up the Atlantic coast, arriving near the Carolinas by Monday, said Paige Klinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jacksonville.
‘That can change based on how quickly it moves,’ Klinger said.
Throughout Sunday rain could be heavy from Florida all the way up to New England, especially along the coast.
Many areas will see 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, but some areas could see as much as 6 inches.
The heavy rain will contribute to a threat of flooding as it spreads northward up the coast.
A line of scattered severe thunderstorms is possible along the coast of the Carolinas, with strong wind gusts and perhaps a few tornadoes, reports Weather.com.
Red flags warning beachgoers to exercise caution because of the high surf and strong current were flying along many beaches on Florida’s Atlantic coast.
The Juno Beach Pier is slammed by big waves in Juno Beach, Florida
Annika Sorenstam (right) along with son Will McGee (middle) and husband Mike McGee brave the constant rain on the fifth hole during the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando
Miguel Castellanos, 8, and his sister Maria Castellanos,15, of Tennessee, run from the waves crashing on the shore while vacationing on South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida
The Miami skyline as seen from the Rickenbacker Causeway as near-tropical storm-force winds pound the area
Wingfoiler Eric Hoytink takes to the water on the Rickenbacker Causeway beach as a storm batters the area
In fact, beachgoers in Volusia County, home to Daytona Beach, were being encouraged not to get into the water at all.
If they did, they should enter the water near a lifeguard tower and not get beyond waist deep, Volusia County officials said in a warning.
As an extra precaution, county workers removed trash cans and portable restrooms from the beach.
In Hollywood, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, city officials warned residents to be mindful of floods.
The area has had significant rainfall over the past two months and some low-lying neighborhoods tend to flood in heavy rain, which is expected Saturday.
Further up the coast in Volusia County, Emergency Management Director Jim Judge urged local residents to make sure Christmas decorations were secured for the storm.
‘Just take the normal precautions you would have with a tropical storm, and even though we’re not looking at anything near that way, if you take those precautions, then you’ll be able to weather this event,’ Judge said.