King Tide Reigns For Third Day
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - For a third straight day much of Miami Beach was awash in floodwaters sprung from a king tide, the result of an extraordinary alignment of the earth and moon.
Some cars stalled out, many folks rolled up their pants and waded through knee-deep water, others made it through on bicycles. Most just stayed put.
"I'm very concerned about the fact that we can't drive, we live here, we can't take out the car, we can't move," said Mercedes Llanas, a long time Miami Beach resident.
In Broward, North Ocean Dr. on Dania Beach was among the roadways with standing water.
In Fort Lauderdale Las Olas Blvd. and sidestreets had standing water as well. Several businesses sandbagged their doors against the rising tide.
Back on Miami Beach, those who've been around a while say it's gotten worse as time has gone by.
"In my opinion, it seems to be getting higher and higher as each year comes along," said Miami Beach Police Captain Paul Acosta.
Some believe it is our fault – smoke stacks belching carbon, and polluting cars and trucks that cause global warming and cause the seas to rise.
On Miami Beach some streets like West Avenue and Alton Road would have been inundated in years past, but huge pumps that have been installed have left them high and dry this year.
"The good news is the areas where we have repaired, put in pumps, raised the road, are as dry as the Sierra," said mayor Philip Levine.
The bad news is three years remain in the anti-flood pump project. Until it is completed, soggy scenes like those of recent days will be an annual or even more frequent affair.
In Broward County, communities in recent years have begun to react more proactively to increasingly rising tides. Fort Lauderdale, for instance, has installed 50 special tidal drainage valves, that seem to be helping. A spokesperson said the deepening depths of king tides has moved all departments in the city to develop ways to further mitigate the problem.
The National Weather Service says the seasonal high tides will continue through Wednesday night.
