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Miami Beach Installing Water Pumps To Help With Flooding

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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – So far so good. That's the word from Miami Beach city officials, although some residents see it differently.

There is construction on Miami Beach that is one part of the $300 million project to install water pumps on the beach, and they'll probably get a test on Sunday night.

Residents of the Mirador 1000 condominiums say they saw about 4 inches of water flooding their lower parking garage around noon Sunday.

Their condo building is right next to a major pump station going in on Miami Beach.

They used pumps to remove the water, and city officials say they're aware of the problem.

This is one of the many challenges that face people living on Miami Beach.

And while the city says 3 new pump stations came online before the threat from Tropical Storm Erica fizzled, some residents are disappointed in the pace of the progress.

"This should have been done a long time ago," said Andres, a longtime resident at Mirador 1000. "From what I see day to day, I don't really see anything being done, you follow? And that goes all over Miami Beach. They need to start finishing stuff."

Last year, CBS Evening News spoke with Scott Robbins, who is on the Miami Beach Blue Ribbon Panel on Flooding and Sea Rise. He is helping to manage the pump project.

"After these pumps are installed we won't see a drop of sea water on our streets," said Robbins. "That's our goal."

Residents would love if that would happen, and some like Eileen Mussary say she's already seen a difference with the pumps that are working.

"I think they've done a very nice job," said Murray. "It's not easy. Everybody's gonna have a complaint about something."

A spokesperson for the City of Miami Beach told CBS4's Carey Codd that they have backup generators in place in case flooding occurs on Sunday night.

The spokesperson also said city workers are monitoring the situation now and will continue throughout the evening and plan to be on the streets Monday morning.

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