Miami flooding uncovers gaps in service, spurs probe

Miami officials are reassessing preparedness ahead of hurricane season as last week’s unprecedented rain caused massive flooding.

On April 13, city commissioners gave the Department of Resilience and Public Works 30 days to craft a comprehensive report pinpointing key areas with the worst flooding, current resources available and what additional resources are needed.

Over 72 hours from April 10 to 13, over seven inches of rain hit Miami. Fort Lauderdale was inundated with over 20 inches. The National Weather Service called the deluge a one in a 1,000-year event as a warm front stalled over South Florida, bringing lingering thunderstorms.

When setting the agenda, Commissioner Sabina Covo introduced a pocket item asking for a report assessing the flooding and a readiness plan before hurricane season starts June 1.

“I’m extremely concerned about what could happen this summer,” Ms. Covo said. She represents coastal neighborhoods that include Coconut Grove, Brickell, Bay Point, Morningside, Downtown and Edgewater.

Juvenal Santana, head of the Department of Resilience and Public Works, detailed the rain and flooding from April 10 to 12.

“We did get an unseasonal amount of rain for this time of year. Last year, we were having a similar discussion, but we were just starting hurricane season and this year we’re a couple months, six weeks, early,” he said.

The rainy season peaks from July through early September. Average rainfall during April in Miami is around 2.1 inches. The unprecedented rain more than tripled the typical amount as extremely heavy rainfall brought localized flooding to several areas of the city. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records indicate three to five inches of rain in a 48-hour period April 10 to 12. By the time of the commission meeting, 7.5 inches had fallen.

Mr. Santana said the city had identified more than 50 flooding hotspots and presented a list of 16 of the worst reoccurring locations. He said pumps are running around the clock to drain the flooding, but commissioners worried that wasn’t enough.

The city deployed seven temporary pumps. The city has 12 large-diameter pumps, three from the fire department and six small portable pumps. The pumps operate 24 hours a day in flooding, Mr. Santana said.

Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla questioned why all available pumps weren’t in use. “In seriousness, there are more sites than these that you’re listing. You’re listing seven places… my district alone we had seven places, so I’m sure citywide there are more than seven locations where we had this flooding.”

Mr. Santana said that in some locations pumps are not necessary to resolve the flooding and sometimes a vacuum truck is needed to deal with drainage. He said the city has 10 vacuum trucks that operate during daylight hours.

Mr. Diaz de la Portilla asked why the vacuums are not operational 24 hours a day like the pumps. Mr. Santana revealed there is a shortage of crew needed to run the vacuums and said the department has submitted an enhancement request for next year that will allow for three additional crew.

After learning this, Commissioner Joe Carollo directed the city manager to hire the three additional operators immediately and to present a budget amendment at the next meeting so the Department of Resilience and Public Works can have the crew needed before hurricane season.

The presentation noted significant flooding on Biscayne Boulevard between Northeast 10th and 15th streets. Biscayne Boulevard is managed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). That area is under construction in I-395 improvements. Recurrent flooding issues have been referred to FDOT’s Construction and Maintenance offices.

As part of the improvements, the FDOT project is to include a future pump station. A completion date for the station is uncertain.
“The project is scheduled to be completed in its entirety by 2027, so sometime between now and 2027 is when the pump station will be constructed,” said Mr. Santana.

To alleviate flooding in the heavily trafficked area, the city installed a pump on North Bayshore Drive and created an alternate route for people coming off I-395 westbound to travel north if Biscayne Boulevard is closed.

Commissioners identified another major cause of the flooding as the city’s clogged drainage system. The current cleaning rotation sees that all the drains are cleaned every three years. Commissioner Manolo Reyes advocated for the drains to be cleaned yearly to ensure water can flow freely through the system and reduce flooding.

Mr. Reyes said lawn services crews contribute to the clogging as they blow debris and leaves into the street and down the drains. He said he would like legislation requiring them to bag the debris and dispose of it properly.

Ms. Covo agreed and added that the issue affects her district, particularly Coconut Grove. She said she would like a comprehensive plan to address the unique needs of each area concerning flooding.

Mr. Carollo, serving as head of the board as Chairwoman Christine King was absent during the afternoon session, motioned for the city manager and the Department of Resilience and Public Works to come back with a report in 30 days.

The report is to identify key areas in each district with the worst flooding and list all current resources to address those areas, explore additional contractors and resources to clean drains more frequently and budget for the new crew members needed to operate vacuums around the clock.

“There’s no reason why the minute we hear there’s going to be rain, we don’t have resources put out into Brickell, so we don’t see time and time again those pictures of our main financial center being flooded like it is, even with a little bit of rain. We’re not even talking about a major storm,” Mr. Carollo said.

The report is expected to be presented before the commission in 30 days, meaning it will likely be heard at the May 25 meeting, less than one week before hurricane season starts.