Hollywood mostly unaffected by king tides; flap gates alleviate flooding

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The City of Hollywood was spared significant flooding from king tides due to the flap gates installed around North Lake and South Lake. These flap gates prevented the high tides from rushing into the City’s underground drainage system.

Hollywood staff is monitoring the drainage system and will continue to deploy auxiliary pumps in strategic locations and will evaluate the need for additional pumps, said Joann Hussey, spokesperson for Hollywood.

Low-lying areas that lack a seawall or elevated berm such as South Lake Drive and North Lake Drive continue to be vulnerable. Street-level flooding along A1A continues when king tides overwhelm the existing Florida Department of Transportation drainage system.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) worked with the city for a test. By placing a plug in a 42-inch outfall and deploying a pump to move water that had accumulated at A1A and Van Buren, the experiment effectively kept Virginia, Van Buren and Harrison Streets navigable during the king tides. This test demonstrated that flap gates along A1A could help to prevent the king tides from overwhelming Hollywood’s drainage system.

The FDOT is working on two projects to mitigate the impact of king tides. Work along A1A from Magnolia to Monroe Street began in September, while construction on the other project, from Monroe to Sheridan, is to begin in May 2017.

Picture of Author: Amanda Jones
Author: Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones specializes in content marketing. She holds a Master's degree in Marketing Management from the University of Florida and a Content Manager Professional Certificate from the University of Miami.

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