Terrifying moment huge rogue wave surges on to Miami sidewalk and crashes into pedestrians
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Terrifying moment as huge rogue wave hits Miami sidewalk, sending pedestrians flying AFTER Hurricane Ian left – left six people in hospital
- Four women and two men were injured when the wave hit Miami Beach on Friday
- The powerful wave was the result of rough surf combined with royal tides
- South Florida was spared the major effects of Hurricane Ian
- However, royal tides were expected from Tuesday to Friday
- A high surf advisory is in effect until 8pm and the ocean is closed the public
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Six people were injured when a red wave slammed over a sidewalk in Miami and slammed into rocks, officials said.
Video captured the terrifying moment when the massive body of water took out several pedestrians following the departure of disastrous Hurricane Ian.
South Florida was spared a major impact from the storm, and there was even a sunny blue sky on Friday when the rouge wave hit.
But officials say rough surf combined with royal tides can create dangerous water conditions.
A high surf advice is in effect until 8pm. There are double red flags, meaning the ocean is closed to the public.
While South Florida was spared the ravages of Hurricane Ian, royal tides are pushing sea levels a foot or two higher than normal expected Tuesday through Friday.
The wave crashed into the sidewalk near South Pointe Park in Miami Beach around 10:45 a.m. Friday.
Four women and two men were rushed to hospital after being hit.
City spokesman Melissa Berthier said the victims suffered ‘minor injuries’ but the area has been closed until further notice.
Double red flags remained on the beach, warning others it is not safe to enter the water, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue announced around mid-morning
A witness took photos of the incident showing victims with cuts to arms and legs, WSVN reported. One person was found to have a head injury.
“I’ve never seen the water so turbulent,” Williams Schachte told WSVN.
Schachte and Tim Carr witnessed the perilous conditions from their apartment building, then biked to the park for a closer look.
“I was really a little shocked,” Carr said. “It’s kind of a perfect storm between royal tides this month and Ian’s remains, I think.”
Another local resident commented, ‘It can be sunny, but if you’ve got waves like that and this kind of action, be really careful out there.’
Hurricane Ian hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph, flooding homes and leaving nearly 2.7 million people without power.
On Friday, it fell from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone as it passed through South Carolina.
Hurricane Ian’s ‘tsunami-style’ floods wiped out large swaths of Fort Myers
Fort Myers – one of Florida’s hardest hit areas – was devastated by the hurricane
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian, who wrought a swathe of destruction across Florida earlier this week, had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph on Friday afternoon.
Florida officials fear the death toll from Hurricane Ian could rise significantly given the wide swath of the state being inundated by the storm.
After making landfall with some of the highest wind speeds for a hurricane over U.S. soil, the storm inundated areas on both Florida coasts, ripping homes from their slabs, destroying beach businesses and leaving more than 2 million people without power.
A flat roof is covered with waterproofing material in Miami before the arrival of Hurricane Ian
At least 16 deaths have been confirmed in the US
Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s Department of Emergency Management, said emergency services have so far focused on “rushed” searches, focusing on rescues and initial assessments, which will be followed by two additional waves of searches.
He said Friday that first responders could detect deaths without confirming them.