Millions being spent to prevent flooding in Hollywood as king tides roll in

Flooding from king tides causing concern for some in Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. ā€“ The threat of Hurricane Dorian may be gone but some parts of South Florida are still concerned with flooding.

That's because ofĀ king tides, which at times can send water risingĀ over docks, into streets and onto sidewalks and lawns.Ā 

Retired city and county Commissioner Sue Gunzburger'sĀ Hollywood home deals with king tides twice a day.Ā 

"We are the only house on this entire block that has a seawall," she said. "I started on the Hollywood City Commission in 1982, (a) long time before (anyone) even talked about climate change and sea level rise. Sea level rise has really affectedĀ this neighborhood, and we see it every time there's a king tide."

Last November, voters in Hollywood passed a multi-million dollar bond to raise the city's public seawalls, and city spokesperson Joann Hussey said the work is already underway.Ā 

"We fully understand the scope of the issue and we're working to address it," Hussey said.Ā 

The Hollywood Marina will be using grant money to raise boat ramps in an attempt to keep water from flooding the surrounding neighborhood.Ā 

There are nine pumping stations in Hollywood. When turned on, each pump can remove 20,000 gallons of water per minute from city streets.Ā 

Generators are in place with each pump to ensure that they will work in case of a power outage.Ā 

"It's difficult, and it's very expensive," said Hussey. "But it is something that we've identified and we've addressed, and we don't want to continue."


About the Author

Layron Livingston made the move from Ohio's Miami Valley to Miami, Florida, to join the Local 10 News team.

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