Months after historic Broward flooding, residents and officials monitor potential tropical system – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. (WSVN) – A potential tropical system brewing in the Caribbean Sea is raising concerns among residents of Broward County, who were impacted by historic flooding earlier in the year.

Speaking to 7News on Friday, Fort Lauderdale resident Chris Armstrong said he was still dealing with the effects of the relentless rains that swept across the region in April.

“Yes, hopefully the insurance money will come through,” he said.

Armstrong’s home was badly damaged and he hopes to start repairs next week.

“It’s been a long back and forth process, but you know, it happened in April, and here we are in August,” he said.

Residents are concerned not only about the potential tropical system that could affect South Florida next week, but also about the return of royal tides.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Department chief Stephen Gollan said city leaders met earlier in the day.

“Leaders from the city of Fort Lauderdale met this afternoon to see what’s out there and to make sure we remain prepared for anything the city may encounter,” he said.

Should the worst-case scenario materialize and there be more flooding, local officials said they were ready.

“We will immediately deploy pumps in the area and we will also have teams on site actively monitoring all stormwater discharges and making sure these – the pathway to get rid of the water – are open and active,” Gollan said.

The South Florida Water Management District also monitors the system.

“We’re getting updates from the climate team to let us know how much rain to expect and what levels will be downstream so we can account for the amounts we can release,” said Carolina Maran, district resilience leader for the South Florida Water Management District.

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