FORT LAUDERDALE - Residents in two flood-prone neighborhoods are breathing a sigh of relief as new pumping stations are now operational.
"It's been one year, eight months and eight days, but who's counting?" said Kitty McGowan, an Edgewood resident who lost everything when four feet of floodwater inundated her home in April 2023.
The devastating rainstorm upended lives and some residents are still recovering. McGowan was forced out of her home for nearly a year as she worked to restore it.
"This week, I finally got a closet," she said. "It's a step-by-step situation."
McGowan took another step toward recovery Friday as she joined Fort Lauderdale leaders to celebrate the completion of the River Oaks pump station project.
The new station is the last of three designed to address flooding in the Edgewood and River Oaks neighborhoods, located off State Road 84 East.
"A lot of these neighborhoods were built without infrastructure," said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. "It should have happened before, but it's happening today."
The project includes newly installed underground pipes up to five feet wide. Water is directed through a filtration system and then pumped to the New River, ultimately flowing out to the ocean.
Ted Inserra, a River Oaks resident whose home has also been flooded, said he's glad the pump stations are online but stressed the importance of maintaining the city's drainage system.
"There are a lot of drains clogged," he said. "We flooded this week because no water was being pumped."
For McGowan, the pumps can't undo the trauma of her experience, but they offer a glimmer of hope.
"I was happy I got to flip the switch," she said. "I'm hoping they make a big difference."