All signs point to this week’s king tide as the highest in South Florida’s history — supercharged by onshore winds and sea level rise.
From Miami to West Palm, an unprecedented amount of saltwater surged ashore. It submerged lanes of major thoroughfares, leaving drivers to navigate intersections with water up to their wheel wells. It crept to the doors — and beyond — of coastal businesses, including several in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
“I couldn’t even open the door because if I opened it, water would get all over my workplace,” said Pedro Arraz, a 21-year-old manager at Chima’s Steakhouse Fort Lauderdale.
On Tuesday morning, floodwaters began to rise so high outside his restaurant that he left because of safety concerns. He walked nearly a mile through floodwaters to get to his car that he parked at a nearby 7-11 convenience store. He didn’t park at his workplace because he was worried that his car would be damaged…