this is the line for the canceled flights. it s been like this since 4:00 in the morning when we arrived here. we ve been talking to families who spent the night with their small children weather their elderly parents and pets trying to get as far away from this monster storm as they can. many of them feel frustrated and they know that s what s going on around the country window is closing. let s listen. i arrived yesterday about 8:00 at night. reporter: you slept at the airport. that is correct. well, we tried to sleep at the airport and the miami airport doesn t really have accommodation for that so people were sleeping on the floors, the second floor tx third floor, wherever they could find space. e. reporter: the airport remains open for now. the cutoff point we heard from the face-off nor yesterday is sustained winds of 35 miles per hour. so for now, miami international airport is functioning but again, that hasn t stopped airlines if from canceling flights and there s why
will receive flooding and torrential rain. many people here will not be going to school or work today in order to prepare. in the meantime, what we are seeing here, david, is the calm before the storm. officials are recommending that everybody use today what is the last of the favorable conditions to prepare before the weather conditions take a turn. polo, i think that s one of the big questions, which is how in this calm before the storm, whether people are thinking of this as a big rain events that they can ride out as opposed to a major flooding event where there would be a cutoff point where they can get out safely. right. that s why officials have been doing this for 24 to 48 hours, recommending people in those coastal communities simply head to higher ground. as we heard from our colleague, nick valencia, many of those essential services to those coastal communities will be cut off once the eye of the storm hones in on the coastal community. as we begin to see more
they wanted to stay and then at the last minute they wanted to leave. so we re trying to make arrangements to get them off the island as i speak. and what is your cutoff point? usually there s a point at which first responders cannot get in, because it s in the heart of the storm. what is the cutoff point for your city, sir? our ferry operation shut down at 8:00 this morning. so the northern port of our transportation system is now shut down. the only way off the island would be the island road that i just came in on. and i understand that the city of corpus christi is in the process of shutting down the island road now. and what are you expecting from this storm? what are you expecting to return home to? well, i hope there will be home to return to. my family has lived on the island for 130 years.
and so this is something to keep an eye on because democrats were looking at this result tonight and are going to be looking ahead to that runoff because they say if there s one candidate they think that could maybe have a chance of beating in december when the general election is held, it s roy moore. he s very controversial. democrats said they needed to get their preferred candidate, someone who can put money behind. they got their candidate through the primary tonight, doug jones. they think if they do, maybe they can have a shot. showing you what they re up against. this is how democrats have done in the last generation here in alabama. you can see they won barely in 86. they won in 90 and 92. that was like a cutoff point. since then democrats have gotten smoked in senate elections in alabama haven t even been close. they re up against some profound history and some regional shifts. there are very much underdogs there.
they think if they do, maybe they can have a shot. showing you what they re up against. this is how democrats have done in the last generation here in alabama. you can see they won barely in 86. this was a cutoff point. since then democrats have gotten smoked in senate elections in alabama haven t even been close. they re up against some profound history and and regional shifts. there are very much underdogs there. uphill fight if i ever saw one. thank you so much for explaining all that being with us on the night shift tonight. for all of us, that is your on our broadcast for what is just tuesday evening. thank you for being here with us. good night from nbc news headquarters here in new york. uphill fight if i ever saw