Florida residents are no strangers to heavy rains and flooding, especially during the rainy season. But for people living in parts of Broward County, flooding has become a major headache, causing roads to be underwater and drivers to face difficult conditions on the roads.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has responded to this problem by working to get the installation of a backflow preventer. The backflow preventer is designed to stop tidal waters from entering the stormwater drainage system and reduce flooding from king tides. This solution will help mitigate the problem and reduce the risk of flooding in the area.
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However, residents in Fort Lauderdale Beach are running out of patience, as they have been dealing with this problem for quite some time. If you travel along A1A and Sunrise Blvd, you're likely to see the streets and sidewalks covered by water.
Matthew Rossman, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, says, "this is probably one of the worst spots." Oscar D Ruiz Jr., another resident of Fort Lauderdale Beach, explains, "actually the water comes up right up to where the bar is. And it comes up really quick, fast."
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The City of Fort Lauderdale and the FDOT have responded to all flooding events with in-house forces and its asset maintenance contractor. However, residents believe that more needs to be done to fix the problem.
Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Dean Trantalis, says, "I think we can make more aggressive moves on the beach, there’s a lot more work to be done there. I think that flood mitigation should be a front-runner item for the state, and we try to work with the state to make that happen."
It's important to note that the city and state drainage systems are interconnected in this area. The outfall handles the water from local city streets as well as the state roads.
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FDOT has already inspected and cleaned the stormwater drainage system serving Sunrise Blvd., A1A, and local streets. In January, the department's asset maintenance contractor replaced a section of collapsed pipe near the primary outfall to the Intra-coastal Waterway.
The backflow preventer is anticipated to be installed before the beginning of the rainy season. This, along with the replaced collapsed pipe and upcoming improvements, should help reduce the risk of flooding in the area.
For now, drivers in South Florida will need to keep an eye on the weather and be prepared for anything. The City of Fort Lauderdale has paid a total of $480.87 to help with the flooding, sending one truck and two employees to help.
