After Cutler Bay residents dealt with heavily flooded streets from downpours, town leaders are looking for ways to prevent those issues throughout the rest of the hurricane season.
One resident told NBC 6 on Wednesday that the streets are improving days after they were encouraged to stay home to avoid driving through flood streets in the community of Saga Bay, located near 87th Avenue and Old Cutler Road.
"It is much better. It is night and day," said resident Glecys Nogueras. "Everybody was pleasantly surprised when we woke up. Given the conditions we experienced yesterday, I did not think the roads would be driveable."
Residents say they are very concerned about the flood plan moving forward since they have never experienced heavy flooding in the town.
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Neighbors in the Saga Bay community say it's not unusual to see Blue Land Crabs in the area during the summer, but the flooding has them coming out in massive numbers.
Cutler Bay manager Ralphs Casals says they have committed more than $11 million toward stormwater improvement projects.
They are in the "design phase" and now they will input all this new data they have from the storms this week to put a stronger, more effective plan in place, Casals said.
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"Makes us kind of rethink the type of structures to put in because the traditional structures are dependent on the groundwater levels as well as the body of water,” Casals said. “We are looking at possibly some deep well water injection wells, it makes us rethink everything."
Casals says they are also offering courtesy flood inspections in this area. He told NBC 6 the stormwater improvement project should be completed in about two years.
