FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – It was spring of 2023 when Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewood neighborhood was one of the areas slammed by heavy rains, causing destructive flooding to the area.
Since then, the city launched the Fortify Lauderdale Initiative to address flooding in vulnerable neighborhoods like Edgewood.
“This year, we started early on,” said Fort Lauderdale Interim Public Works Director Talal Abi-Karam. “We started looking at all of our preparation, including early distribution of sandbags at some of our parks.”
Abi-Karam said crews have been inspecting and assessing various sites for conditioning and cleaning of the stormwater system.
“We also have access to large pumps that will be strategically positioned in an area that is flooded or prone to flooding,” he said.
Fort Lauderdale residents are able to store their cars for free during a flood watch or warning at the Las Olas or Riverwalk Center parking garages for up to 24 hours after an advisory ends.
Edgewood resident Elsa Alcantara lost her rental to the 2023 flooding.
On Monday, she pointed out that unlike back then, the storm drains there are clean, not clogged, and she’s noticed the effectiveness of the new pumps.
But another resident named Angelina told Local 10 News she’s skeptical about whether the measures are enough as she described how high she remembers the 2023 water level hitting -- all the way up to her windows.
The city ensures residents it has and continues to make strides in its new blueprint for resilience
“There’s a lot of lessons learned from these events, specifically to some critical neighborhoods,” said Abi-Karam.