MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Miami Beach officials say some of the new storm water pumps under construction across the city will be working by the time extreme high tides emerge later this fall.
The annual king tides are expected to be almost 3 inches higher than last year. The flooding can swamp South Beach’s streets and intersections and snarl traffic even on sunny days, and heavy rainfall or offshore ocean swells make the problems worse.
Mayor Philip Levine said Wednesday that a system of about 60 new pumps across the city will keep streets dry for the next 25 to 30 years. A higher sea wall also is being built to cope with storm surge flooding.
Miami Beach expects to spend up to $400 million over five years to upgrade the storm water system.
