South Florida cities take proactive measures ahead of Helene

MIAMI – Helene may not be impacting South Florida directly, but some cities are being proactive ahead of expected heavy rains and possible flooding. 

The City of Hollywood is managing water levels, with a backup plan to redirect excess water and Miami is clearing storm drains to prevent flooding. Additionally, sandbags are being made available for free in select cities.

Michael Sloan lives off North 14th Avenue in Hollywood, an area known for flooding. 

“I don’t rely on other people to get things done for me. I rely on myself first,” he said. 

He knows when we get a big rain, he could be facing rising water and he’s ready. 

“All my sandbags are all sitting back here if I decide to use them,” Sloan said.

He also constructed homemade flood barriers to block potential flood water from getting into his home.  

Just steps away from his home, Hollywood is working on a project to pump water off the road and into nearby Eco golf course. They’ve been cleaning out and expanding trenches and swales. 

“We’ve seen tremendous success with the levels of water coming in for storms. So, we already know that what we’re doing is working. So, we just want to make sure it continues to stay in that direction,” said Hollywood spokesperson Arlene Borenstein. 

With the ground already saturated from recent rain, there’s a backup plan if needed. 

“We’ve had a lot of water the last couple of days. So, what we might do if need be is shift and redirect the water onto the golf course,” Borenstein said.

In Miami, like many cities, crews are clearing out storm drains, making sure they can handle heavy rain if it comes our way. 

“It’s obvious that there are some debris that keeps falling into there, and that’s what we do just to clean it up. And it is extremely important so that then the water can flow and avoid those big floodings that we have seen in the past,” said Miami Spokeswoman Kenia Fallat. 

And they’re paying close attention to areas known for flooding. 

“We have areas in Miami that tend to flood along the Biscayne Boulevard corridor. So in anticipation of that, we have our temporary and our permanent pumps already on standby, in the event that we do see some flooding,” Fallat said. 

Hollywood, Dania Beach and Fort Lauderdale are offering free sandbags to residents. 

Hollywood is also allowing residents to park in city garages for free if they’re concerned about flooding.