Tropical Disturbance Floods South Fla.

M I A M I, Oct. 4 -- Residents of the metropolitan area were urged tostay home today because of flooding and blocked streetsfollowing a storm that poured more than a foot of rain on parts ofSouth Florida.

Water rose so high near canals in Opa-locka that catfish werecarried into some first-floor apartments.

Classes for all 360,000 students in the Miami-Dade publicschools were canceled today, along with Catholic schools thereand in some other counties, and Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas toldnonessential county employees to stay home. Thousands had lostelectrical service.

“The bottom line is that these are not good conditions for thetraveling public,” Penelas said.

Water rushed inside the home of Virginia Pacheco when she openedher door in unincorporated west Miami-Dade.

“There are probably fish, snakes out there,” she said. “Youcould go fishing.”

Storm Developed Over Cuba

A tornado touched down in Hialeah and tore the roof off a firestation while it was being used as a voting site for Tuesday’sstate and local elections. No one was injured. Another was spottednear Miami’s Metrozoo but no damage was reported.

The storm also interfered with some cable TV service andPresident Clinton, in Coral Gables on a fund-raising tour, missedpart of Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Vice PresidentAl Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Miami International Airport never officially closed, butnumerous flights were canceled or rerouted, said airport spokesmanMarc Henderson.

The storm developed over Cuba, then gathered strength andmoisture as it moved across the Florida Straits on Tuesday.

All of Miami-Dade got at least 11 inches of rain and the airportgot 15.3 inches in 36 hours, the National Weather Service said.Rainfall had mostly stopped in Dade County by this morning,with only scattered showers, but rain continued falling up thecoast, where Broward County had gotten more than 8 inches.