North Miami unveils stormwater master plan update after June flooding; residents press for faster action

Consultants for the City of North Miami presented an updated stormwater master plan that incorporates new infrastructure and two islands omitted from the 2012 model and recommends short-term and long-term projects to address recurring flooding.

The update, presented by Hans Morsey, director of water resources for RJ Behar, laid out modeling methods, problem areas and a two-tiered implementation plan. "My name is Hans Morsey. I'm with RJ Behar. I'm the director of water resources, and I'm gonna be presenting the stormwater master plan update for this for the city of North Miami," Morsey said at the meeting.

The plan matters because it translates modeling into specific work the city could pursue: 22 short-term improvement locations, estimated at about $11,000,000, and larger long-term upgrades that include underground storage, upsized pipes and additional pumping. The short-term work emphasizes exfiltration (French) trenches, inlet sump modifications and retrofit flap gates at outfalls; long-term work is separated into two groups of increasing complexity and cost.

Key technical findings and recommendations

- The update used the EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and added new infrastructure built between February 2012 and February 2024 as well as two islands that were not in the 2012 model. - The city's drainage inventory summarized in the presentation: approximately 2,300 stormwater catch basins (about 605 owned by state/county), 366 manholes, 74 outfalls, 113 recharge wells, four pump stations and about 38.8 miles of stormwater pipe. - Short-term recommendations (roughly 5 years, contingent on funding)…