Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood streets hit by flooding
HOLLYWOOD: Residents were encountering flooding from Hollywood to Fort Lauderdale on Monday, and are bracing for more rainfall as Hurricane Milton heads to the state.
In Hollywood, cars were stalled as some streets were underwater, including North 14th Avenue and Taft Street.
In Fort Lauderdale, there was flooding at East Las Olas Boulevard and Northeast 22nd Avenue.
The city said 7.5 inches of rain has fallen since Saturday and expects another 2 inches each day this week.
At Floyd Hill Stadium in Fort Lauderdale's Edgewood, residents lined up to get as many as 10 bags of sand.
"I am getting as much sand as I can in my car for the house because I live in a flooded area and the rain has gone up the door from my driveway and it is a concern," Frank Ramos said.
In Edgewood, some residents already had sandbags stacked up by their front doors.
The area was overwhelmed by flooding in April last year.
Kitty McGowen was rescued from her home then.
"We lost everything," she said. "We were trapped there and rescued on a swamp buggy. We couldn't get out for two days. We tried to get out. It was a real thing there in Edgewood."
McGowan is president of the Edgewood Civic Association and is concerned about the storm.
"Obviously the wind is the scariest thing with that is going on with the floodwaters because we are kind of an island in the city. We aren't connected to any drainage so when it rains here and it rains a lot, then we feel it," she said.
In Fort Lauderdale, Mayor Dean Trantalis said the city has taken steps to handle the rainfall, including distributing 260 tons of sand and put in 14 temporary pumps.
"The big takeaway here is that you should be prepared but don't panic," Trantalis said.
The South Florida Water Management District made an investment in the various utilities and stormwater preserves so the underground water table will not reach the saturation level.
Domenico Bartuccio also remembers what happened last year when some homes were flooded..
"We stayed up, me and my wife, until 1 a.m., and it subsided a little bit and we were able to suck it up with a shop vac and pump outside," Bartucci said.
"We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. That is all we can do."
One problem is the ground is already so saturated.
In Hollywood, all four city garages were opened for people to park for free.