FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A year ago, Monday, Jack Grimm’s house flooded. He had to climb up the kitchen counter to stay dry. The extreme weather event in Fort Lauderdale severely damaged his house.
Grimm said having rain in the forecast terrifies him and his Edgewood neighbors. He, his wife, and mother-in-law have a small ready-to-go bag just in case. The experience was traumatic.
“People are just edgy,” Machonis said. “It’s like a nightmare.”
Nancy Gassman, Fort Lauderdale’s assistant public works director, said there is community post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gassman also said the extreme weather event motivated the city to focus on getting the stormwater master plan projects done as soon as possible.
“We have moved all of them up by 1 to 3 years,” Gassman said.
In Edgewood, there are 5.6 miles of new pipes underground. There are projects in River Oaks and Durrs. There will be three stormwater pump stations. There is another project in the design phase in Melrose Park.
Rucci said he and his family didn’t want to give up on his wife’s childhood home. They have been living in a camper. Recently, they agreed the house was beyond trying to fix.
“We are listing the property as a teardown,” Rucci said.
Securing funding after the storm was the city’s big task. There’s still more work that needs to be done. Many residents say they’re waiting to see how these new systems do.
John Machonis said the flooding was devastating and he couldn’t endure something like that again.
“I am still recovering,” Machonis said.