FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - South Florida has begun preparing for the arrival of Eta, which is currently a tropical depression.
Over the past few weeks there has been heavy rainfall, which has resulted in canals filling up and the ground being saturated.
As a result, a lot of preparation is being done to guide the water out of South Florida.
In Plantation, floodgates have already been opened as more rainfall is expected over the next few days.
Work is also being done to clear storm drains in Miami Beach.
Crews were seen working to clear out all drains in the area, Thursday.
Miami Beach is prone to flooding and with clear drains, lines and pumps, crews will be able to quickly empty any water that may fill them.
“In advance of any potential storm coming in, we clean all the low lying areas again just to make sure that there’s no unknown stoppages or any kinds of leaves or debris that may get in the system during the storm and slow down any water flow,” said Roy Coley, Director of Public Works for Miami Beach.
In other parts of South Florida, like in Hollywood, public works crews are cleaning out what they can.
In Lauderhill, pumps are pushing out as much water through the canals as possible.
“Everybody’s going to get flooded in their garage,” said Lauderhill resident Rick Matthews.
Matthews said his neighborhood is no stranger to flooding, as recently as this past weekend. He said standing water stayed around for more than a day.
Some neighbors are using sandbags to protect their garages. Matthews said he’s anticipating not being able to leave his home.
“You get trapped, so I go nowhere. I stay here. I’m stuck,” he said.
The South Florida Water Management District said their top priority at the moment is getting the canals as low as possible, and they plan to staff all their stations during the storm.
They also had a message for any homeowners that live along the canals throughout South Florida.
They advise those homeowners who see any debris, trees that have been knocked down, docks that have been damaged or any other large materials in the water, to call their local representatives and let them know so they can have them removed before Eta arrives.
Even if they get all the water out in time, officials said the ground is already so saturated that there is still a possibility of street flooding.
“Those areas where it’s going to rain more than forecast, we don’t know where that’s going to be, but those are always a concern,” said Armando Vilaboy, a spokesperson for the South Florida Water Management District.
For locations where residents in Miami-Dade and Broward counties can get sandbags, including Mills Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale, click here.
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