Heavy downpours across South Florida on Monday afternoon affected travel at Miami International Airport and left some neighborhoods, like Flagami and Edgewater, underwater.

The rain in Flagami, a neighborhood just south of Miami International Airport, had stopped hours earlier, but accumulation lingered in the streets.

Danny Ortiz said the flooding never reached his home, though it often keeps others stranded.

"A lot of people get stranded here when it gets pretty bad," Ortiz said.

Making the problem worse

Ortiz said some drivers made the problem worse by speeding through the water.

"This is the problem right here. People go super-fast," he said. "Like a jet ski. I don't understand."

The sheriff's office said flooding quickly backed up drains near 59th and 60th Street. Ortiz said it happens every time it rains and leaves him with extra chores.

"Gotta clean the driveway tomorrow. Gotta blow it out. It's a problem but it's how it is," he said.

Airport travelers left stranded

At the airport, rain delays left travelers stranded. More than 200 flights were affected, with both a hold on departures and a ground stop on arrivals.

Mary Nimick, who had just returned from an overseas trip with George Westphal, said the rain made her miss her connection.

"Born and raised in Florida. I don't mind the rain, but right now it's making me angry," she said.

The couple sat on the tarmac for two hours before missing their flight home.

"Next flight is fully booked, so I'm renting a car to drive to Jacksonville," Nimick said. Westphal added: "Yes."

At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, at least 120 flights were delayed.

Officials noted that a new state law allows law enforcement to issue tickets to drivers who speed through floodwater and create wakes that damage property.

Edgewater residents call flooding a "nightmare"

In Edgewater, streets filled quickly with water, a familiar scene for residents.

"Oh, it's been a nightmare; it's gotten worse over the years too, I have to say," said Katherine Wald, who has lived in the area for seven years.

She said even small rainstorms keep her inside.

"Life kind of shuts down when it rains, even a little bit. You can't leave the apartment, you can't walk the dog, you can't do anything and there are cars that just get stranded, so it's a safety issue too. It's really problematic every time it rains," Wald said.

Michael Lewis, an Edgewater resident of eight years, said he and his dog Ritz had to wade through grass to avoid the flooded sidewalks.

"I parked a block up the street and walked down with him, but we couldn't walk on the sidewalk; we had to walk through the grass. That's how much rainwater was out here," Lewis said.

As Ritz shook off the water, Lewis noted how frequently cars are stranded.

"Cars are getting towed; water was up to the wheel wells—the wheel wells of people's wheels; that's how high the water was," he said.

From flooded streets to makeshift wakeboarding

Elsewhere, in Coral Gables, some residents tried to turn the flooding into fun, attempting wakeboarding through the water before nearly crashing.

Edgewater residents said the city often brings in pumps to help clear streets, but they believe more long-term fixes are needed, especially as king tide season approaches.