Fort Lauderdale's Edgewood neighborhood slowing drying out from days of rain
FORT LAUDERDALE - After two days of relentless rain, Fort Lauderdale's Edgewood neighborhood is slowly drying out.
The community, which is just north of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, experienced severe flooding last April that severely damaged 279 homes. Most homes had four feet or more of water.
This time around, they were mainly spared, with only a few saying that water had entered their homes.
Neal Khein, who lives in the area of SW 32nd Court and SW 17th Street, said he was fortunate this time around. He said water filled his backyard but he dodged a bullet.
"Us and the people across the street are the only ones left on this street, the others got out, they left. Thank God the water came up to the door of the house, it was about one inch short of coming in. So we didn't get any water in the house this time. The debris and everything else outside, the backyard is a mess obviously because it is lower. We had tools and equipment back there because my friend is a landscaper and those tools are probably lost. Aside from that we are thanking God, we weathered this pretty well," said Khein
Khein and his neighbors said the city could have been more responsive by sending pump trucks or portable pumps to drain the water.
The city said Friday they did send a pump truck to the neighborhood. And the drainage project underway is a work in progress.
Edgewood isn't the only area that is draining slowly, several other locations across the county are having the same issue because the ground is saturated.
In Davie, the Broward College campus was shut Thursday and Friday because of flooding.
All Broward college campuses will be open on Saturday
Another troubling spot is along the coast where rough surf fueled by King Tides led to a lot of beach erosion. At Hollywood Beach, sand was pushed over the Broadwalk, at Fort Lauderdale Beach, it covered the road.
Friday, the city of Fort Lauderdale said most of the sand had been restored to the beach.
