MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – This time last year, Miami Beach parking lots were flooded with the return of King Tide. Since then, the city has installed new pumps that appear to be controlling the flooding.
The return of the highest tide in South Florida is the first test for Miami Beach's new multimillion-dollar pump system.
"We said let's approach this like it is World War II," said Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. "Let's get pumps in place -- no analysis -- let's just get it done and that's what we did."
But the work is just beginning, and some people are not happy with the way the new construction is looking.
"It looks terrible to me and to the city," said one man who commutes to Miami Beach for work.
The plan is to install new pumps over the next two years.
"What this shows is the pumping system will and can work," said Levine. "We're not going to declare victory. This is one small battle in a long-term war that we are fighting against Mother Nature."
Levine told Local 10 News that the plan is to install at least 60 additional pumps throughout the city. The timetable for the project is at least three years.
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