FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. ā King tides caused a flood of problems this week in parts of Fort Lauderdale, and itās only expected to get worse.
The City of Fort Lauderdale has spent years planning for this.
This weekās tides measured 16 inches higher than predicted, all thanks to recent storms and easterly winds piling water up the coastline.
Because of that, residents in flood-prone areas are seeing a foot or more of standing water in their neighborhoods, among other issues.
āEvery manhole is bubbling up, itās frustrating,ā said resident Will Shriner.
The City of Fort Lauderdale has seven miles of shoreline and 165 miles of inland waterways, so many neighborhoods will be impacted by the rising water levels.
āOver the next five years, weāll be spending $200 million on storm water improvements alone throughout the city,ā Said Dr. Nancy Gassman, Fort Lauderdale Assistant Public Works Director.
Some of the improvements have already been completed, like $3 million 900-foot linear sea wall constructed along the Isle of Palms Drive and Las Olas Blvd.
The original sea wall was overtopped during high tides, making the road impassable.
Now, during the peak of high tide, the homes in front of the new wall are dry, while others down the block, without the seawallās protection, have street flooding.
āThis type of improvement will substantially reduce the intensity, the duration, and frequency of the flooding,ā said Dr. Gassman.
Another sea wall is in the works along flood-prone Cordova Road in Fort Lauderdaleās Rio Vista neighborhood. Itās expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Pump stations are also working to reduce the amount of rising water, .and 177 tidal valves have been installed throughout the city to keep water off of the roadways.
Over the course of the next five to 10 years, the city will be adding 24 more sea walls to flood prone areas.