With the threat of heavy rain this Labor Day weekend, residents in Fort Lauderdale and North Miami say they are anxious to see whether recently built flood prevention projects will protect their neighborhoods.
In Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewood neighborhood, Tom Turberville recalls the damage left behind by historic flooding two years ago.
Fort Lauderdale’s $10.5 million pump station faces first real storm season
“Our whole house was gutted from four feet down. So to speak. New walls new flooring and had to get new cabinets,” Turberville said.
Since then, the city has built a new pump station at the River Oaks Stormwater Preserve to handle flooding in Edgewood and River Oaks. The $10.5 million project finished in May, but Turberville said he has not seen it tested.
“I don’t think that pump has been stretched to its full capacity and hopefully it never will,” Turberville said.
He added that anxiety remains high in the community.
“Our nervousness would go way down. Every time it rains everyone in Edgewood and the surrounding Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods get a little nervous,” Turberville said.
North Miami trench project offers hope after repeated flooding
In North Miami, the city completed a new trench along 121st Street in June, right where Emily Adams lives. Severe flooding last year forced her to keep sandbags at her garage.
“My whole garage. The water came in. It was a couple of inches. I had to throw everything out,” Adams said.
Adams noted the trench removed some shade from her yard but hopes it provides protection when it matters most.
“There’s some concessions you have to take right? Like trees getting cut,” Adams said.
Residents in both neighborhoods say they are conflicted — part of them doesn’t want rain so it won’t flood, but another part wants storms to put the costly projects to the test.