Miami Beach Hopes To Avoid Flood Of Trouble During Autumn High Tides
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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - Hurricanes may come and go, but street flooding from seasonal high tides is something residents of Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale have to deal with on a yearly basis.
On Monday, the Autumn high tides began. Over the next four months, Miami Beach will see the highest tides of the year. November 5th is projected to have the highest tide of the season, also known as King Tide.
To battle the surge from the sea, the city has a storm water improvement program, which is approximately 15-percent complete.
Miami Beach has started a project to reconstruct Indian Creek Drive which experienced extreme flooding in a 2016 high tide. The city is rebuilding it higher and raising the height of the adjoining seawall.
In the lowest-lying areas that are not yet improved, the city will be installing temporary water pumps and temporary water dams to prevent possible flooding.
However, if the city is hit with severe "rain bomb" on top of a seasonal high tide, it will take longer for even improved streets to drain. The city said they will have generators on stand-by until the permanent generators are installed.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, the city is still removing debris from streets and sidewalks along with cleaning out the stormwater system to ensure that it is functioning at its maximum capacity during the months ahead.
All residents and business owners are encouraged to check out the storm drain nearest their property and remove any debris that could block the water from draining properly.
The seasonal high tides also impact residents and businesses along coastal Broward County. The city of Fort Lauderdale wants to remind residents they can call a 24-hour hotline at (954) 828-8000 to report any severely flooded areas.
