Miami Beach Prepares For October Tidal Flooding
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - Higher than normal tides and flooding can be an aggravation for just about everyone trying to get around Miami Beach.
"It's hard to get across the street," said Jonathan Cole, a Miami Beach resident.
"We're not able to go to the grocery store, the restaurants. We can't even leave our apartments because you have to get wet to leave your apartment, said resident Luigi Caballero. "That's how ugly it gets."
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Twice a year Miami Beach sees higher than normal tides flood streets and parking lots.
"The biggest problem is that the water is not fresh water, it's brackish so it's mixed with salt," said Cole. "If you're driving by here in a car or another vehicle it really destroys the bottom of the car and the wheels."
Damaging tides will hit Miami Beach the week of October 5.
CBS4 Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer warns this year's tides are expected to be even higher than last year's.
"It could be up to half-a-foot higher based on astronomical conditions," Setzer said. "Basically what happens is the Earth, moon and sun line up kind of on the same plane and the additional gravitational pull causes the water to almost bulge."
Setzer said the tides will be at their highest during the mornings of October 8 and October 9, but when the water rises, Miami Beach has some new equipment to keep the streets dry.
The city's in the midst of a 5-year $300 million project to install 60 pumps across the beach.
Three of those pumps have already been turned on and a total of five are expected to be up and running by the time the tides rise. Some temporary pumps will also be operating.
"We believe it will make a difference," said City Manager Jimmy Morales. "Obviously, when you get these large tides, if there's a rain, there's going to be some water. The challenge is will it move it quickly?
If there are flooding problems, the city wants to know where.
Miami Beach has an app residents can use to report flooding locations, but the city manager is hopeful the severe flooding won't happen again.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed that what we're doing will go a long way toward keeping the streets very dry," said Morales.
For residents, the hope is the pumps eliminate the wet walk or drive around the beach.
"Let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, it's going to get better," said Caballero.
In case the pumps don't work some businesses are prepared. CBS4 found Walgreens on Miami Beach has sandbags out just in case.
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