Story highlights Up to 7 inches of rain fell in Miami area within hours

Flash flooding left residents stranded during rush hour

(CNN) The remnants of Tropical Depression Emily prompted some Miami residents to take to the flooded streets in kayaks.

Though Emily was downgraded from a tropical storm to a depression Monday night and moved out to the Atlantic, heavy rain still hit the Miami-Dade area on Tuesday.

In just a few hours, storms brought between 4-7 inches of nonstop rain across Miami Beach and Miami's downtown, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said. By rush hour, several streets were flooded.

Some drivers ended up stalled out in high waters while others -- not wanting to take a chance -- ditched their cars for kayaks and paddle boards.

A resident kayaking on the flooded streets of Miami Beach on Tuesday.

Piove??? 💦💦💦 #rain #miamibeach #southbeach #sobe #paddleboarding A post shared by Architect & Designer (@giorgiatiberi) on Aug 1, 2017 at 3:06pm PDT

Rains were heavy enough in Miami's downtown and Brickell neighborhoods that manholes could be seen spewing water.