Last night the rain poured and poured. It delivered several inches of rain throughout the City of Oakland Park causing flooding in various neighborhoods.
Rhiannon Rose Samoyedny, one of Living In Oakland Park’s staff writers posted when the rains started “Be safe guys. Major flooding happening. Half my yard is underwater”. She was not alone in being flooded.
Residents Share Their Frustrations
Ryan Hickman, another Oakland Park resident, who suffered damages to his diesel truck posted the following:
What’s going on with the storm drains in op… I have a shop at prospect and ne 11th ave, the water was so high it got into my intake and blew my 6.7 diesel truck today…When is op going to address these issues? Me or my insurance company will be looking at 12k to replace that engine… I’ve seen these streets flood for years, when are you going to address these issues?
Joseph Watson replied to Hickman’s post noting further flooding: “Same on nw 21 ever since they have started the road work the ditch on one side floods and the water gets 3-4 inches deep at the end of several driveways now they have made the drainage so much worse over here“. Deborah Lynn Casillo also replied to Hickman’s post noting flooding on Oakland Park Boulevard “Oakland Park Blvd was flooded to. No where for the water to go. Too much rain at one time. Sea levels rising everyday and no way for the water to drain quickly! Sucks!“.
As more posts came in residents voiced their frustration, including the fact that it has been a recurring problem in Oakland Park.
Not a New Problem
Blaine Brown commented: “Hey Oakland park why don’t you fix the flooding problem that we’ve had for the last 30-40 years… “. Brown shared video in the Living In Oakland Park Facebook Group which showed how deep the problem was.
Kris Nicholson took us on a tour of his backyard which was completely flooded. He showed us bugs fighting for their life and how the water was as high as his ankle in some spots. He also took us on a tour of the front of his house and all the flooding the rains caused on his street.
Let the City Know!
The Living in Oakland Park Facebook group is a place for residents to share their concerns. However, residents are encouraged to also share their concerns with the City at info@oaklandparkfl.gov. If they know about the problem they can work on resolving it. One resident, Douglas Brian, reported his concern and shared his experience. “I’ve reported items to info@oaklandparkfl.gov and Rene, the City Clerk got back to me very quickly and resolved the issues within 24hrs”.
It is clear some issues with flooding may require more time and investment in better infrastructure. That is why it is important to report. The more we report it, the more it jumps and stays in the forefront. With increased knowledge of what the residents go through, the City can actively work toward a permanent resolution to Oakland Park’s flooding problem.
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