High tides and strong winds take over So. Fla. beach

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Beachgoers experienced some rocky weather in Fort Lauderdale, Saturday.

The rough waves in Fort Lauderdale have made it difficult for some beachgoers to find dry land, so they had to take the high road. "We saw it was kind of wet right here," said Nakia Pressley, "so we came up and then the sun was out, so we came up here coz it's hot."

The high winds and strong waves stopped workers from completing repairs needed on A1A in Fort Lauderdale. "We're making emergency restoration in that area." said Barbara Kelleher. "We've been making really good progress where we've got about 40 percent installed, but on the north end of the project we have no wall at all."

A1A remains under construction since Hurricane Sandy washed out roads and tore down the sea wall, last October. "They are predicting that we could have some water coming over the dunes," said Kelleher. "We just don't know if it will be as bad as it was in October and November, but it will certainly be the biggest test we've had since then."

On Friday, crews secured the sheet piles that have been installed to protect the roads from further damage.

The gusts from our coast have come down from a powerful storm system about 500 miles east of New England. "It's been a while since I've seen them this high," said Pressley.

With high tide expected to hit at 6:30 Saturday evening, most planned to be long gone before it got any worse. "I'll be out of here by 6:30," said Robert Phillips.

(Copyright 2013 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)