Officials extend state of emergency
Days after one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in history passed through South Florida, Deerfield Beach commissioners met in a special session to extend its official state of emergency another 30 days — through Oct. 13.
“The state of emergency includes not only preparation and response but recovery,” said District 4 Commissioner Todd Drosky. “At least in District 4? There [were] all kinds of downed trees.”
Specifically, it allows the city to impose a curfew if needed and provides for certain emergency purchases.
But there was plenty of preparation that came ahead of the store as well.
Pompano Beach’s Public Works Department handed out more than 4,000 sandbags before the storm hit.
“Minor damage and minor flooding,” reported city spokeswoman Sandra King.
Pompano’s shelters closed Sept. 12, after which Mayor Lamar Fisher began delivering platters of donated sandwiches to St. James Missionary Baptist Church.
Meanwhile, Lighthouse Point residents returned from mandatory evacuation to find most of the city’s areas to be without power.
The storm carried large amounts off the beach and onto nearby streets. Irma also damaged the city’s welcome sign at the beach and the International Fishing Pier. Work crews immediately began moving the sand off city streets as well as heading out citywide to collect debris.
In the end, the sandy street delighted 2-year-old Kaiden Roe. After scampering up and down the hallways of his condominium for the duration of Irma, the Deerfield Beach toddler dug happily into what surely was the largest sand box he had ever seen.
“We lost Internet and cable but we had power the whole time,” said David Roe, who works at Trader Joe’s. “Life is looking to get back to normal.”