Despite the rainy weather that continued beginning of the fall season, many of us in Miami hoped to see a rare sight on Sunday, September 27th: A Super moon undergoing a Lunar Eclipse. This rare celestial event combining two different anomalies last occurred in 1982, whereas the next one will occur in 2033. For us here in coastal Florida, this celestial occurrence comes with residents preparing higher tides along the beaches, prompted by flooding concerns.
Beginning around 8 PM EST, the seemingly larger moon came into view, dazzling many who hoped to see a glimpse of the full, yellow sphere tinting itself red. But as the weather stands in Southern Florida, the celestial body was covered with darkened rain clouds that blocked off any possible glimpse, even at sanctioned events held around restaurants and backyards.
Oddly enough, while this was the only supermoon eclipse, this is actually the sixth supermoon to grace the skies above Florida and the rest of the world. Supposedly, this line of supermoons would eventually foretell a great tragedy befalling the world at large. So far, all it has confirmed is that Florida residents are used to constant waves of water ruining their Monday commute to work and daily lives.
While the event itself was seen as a beautiful experience, citizens and the local government speak badly of the related flooding of the streets. This has been cited as the worst flooding they’ve encountered in years, with continued problems to occur throughout Monday. Residents living in lowland areas have noticed docks disappearing, pools overfilling, and cars at risk for being swept underwater by the unexpected rise in water.
Some reported instant rises of seven or more inches of water, with officials remarking how necessities such as a pumps and drainage wells would be strained. Even after the event finished, locals down in Miami Beach are still cleaning up after the continually rising flood levels.
As pumps and wells do their work at attempting to clear up the lake that used to be the streets of Miami, many hope that the SuperMoon Eclipse was worth all of the trouble. The question here is: “Will another supermoon eclipse be welcome in Miami anytime soon?” Many of us who missed the event would say yes, but hopefully residents now know the risk of not preparing for any heavy flooding that is soon to follow.
