RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Floodwater filled homes and stranded drivers Monday. In Riviera Beach’s Lone Pine Estates, residents faced submerged streets, damaged belongings and uncertainty about leaving.
Fire Rescue crews helped residents through the neighborhood. Tow trucks worked to remove vehicles as drainage efforts continued.
Riviera Beach officials unanimously declared a local state of emergency Monday, allowing faster access to emergency resources.
“It’s been devastation for our community,” Mayor Douglas Lawson said. “So we’re truly just trying to help and assist them with declaring a state of emergency in the city.”
Crews established pumping on North Canterbury and were working on South Canterbury. Officials said the Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District was also lowering nearby canal levels.
Utility officials reported isolated sewer backups into homes and urged residents to minimize wastewater use.
Some longtime residents told CBS12 News they had never seen flooding this severe.
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For Ben Nguyen, the rising water meant getting his daughter somewhere safe.
Nguyen said water reached his garage around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. An hour later, it was spreading throughout his home.
“My patio, my front door, my bathroom, my master, the water is just getting higher and higher,” Nguyen said.
He said he tried getting his daughter to his sister’s home around midnight.
“I just basically just sit in my house and crying all night,” he said. “I just don’t know what to do.”
Nguyen said Riviera Beach Fire Rescue later helped him and his wife reach another neighborhood entrance.
He planned to stay with his sister while waiting for the water to recede.
Nguyen said he rebuilt his home about two years ago for his wife and daughter. Now, he worries about paying for repairs.
He said he has homeowners insurance but does not carry separate flood insurance.
“And I just don’t know how I’m going to get through this,” he said.
For resident Lewis Brown, the flooding raised concerns about reaching medical care.
Brown, a heart transplant patient, said he has hospital checkups scheduled for Tuesday.
“You can’t leave your house, you’re stranded,” Brown said.
He said he has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years.
“I’ve never seen it like this ever,” Brown said. “It’s never been this bad.”
Resident Abe Aksal described deep water near Canterbury North and Canterbury West.
He said several vehicles became stuck as drivers tried entering or leaving the neighborhood.
“One of the problems is that people trying to either get out or get in, and they don’t realize how high the water is,” Aksal said.
Aksal said he had food and water but could not leave.
Asked how he felt, he answered: “Astonished, disappointed, and sad.”
Flooding affects other communities
The impacts extended beyond Riviera Beach.
Palm Beach Gardens announced several closures Monday because of severe flooding, according to a city operations update.
Sandhill Crane Golf Club’s course is closed through Wednesday, Nov. 4. Its driving range is scheduled to reopen Tuesday, Nov. 3, with mats only.
The Nest Golf Course and Driving Range are closed through Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Palm Beach Gardens Tennis & Pickleball Center is partially closed. Players should call the center for individual court conditions.
Closed parks include PGA National, Gardens Park, Lake Catherine and Lake Catherine Lakeside. Joseph R. Russo Park’s walking trail is also closed.
The city’s update also listed the Solid Waste Authority as closed Monday.
Residents can check changing conditions through the city’s Daily Weather Closures page. Flooding can be reported through its Request Tracker.
In Port St. Lucie, the city closed the intersection of California and Savona boulevards.
A Monday morning update also reported water near Tradition Parkway and Community Boulevard. Water was reported near Volucia Drive and Innovation Way.
Okeechobee County Schools closed Monday because of widespread flooding and additional rainfall concerns.
The district said it coordinated the decision with emergency officials. Teams continued monitoring campuses and roads.
Where residents can find help
The National Weather Service listed a flood watch for Riviera Beach through 7 p.m. Monday.
Residents should avoid driving or walking through floodwater. Anyone facing an immediate emergency should call 911.
Residents needing assistance can call Riviera’s city Emergency Operations Center at 1-877-257-2374. People affected by flooding can contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 to ask about assistance. The Palm Beach and Treasure Coast chapter lists the number as available around the clock.
Riviera Beach Public Works can be reached at 561-845-4080 for drainage concerns.
The Red Cross advises staying away from floodwater, which may contain sewage and other hazards. It also warns against touching electrical equipment while standing in water.
Riviera Beach officials urge residents to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel.