Fort Lauderdale targets flood-damaged stormwater pipes across seven neighborhoods in $500M infrastructure push

Fort Lauderdale is replacing stormwater pipes damaged during a catastrophic April 2023 flood event, with construction crews working across seven neighborhoods as part of the city's Fortify Lauderdale infrastructure program.

The city is working with contractor Southern Underground Industries to excavate and replace damaged stormwater pipes across Edgewood, River Oaks, Melrose Park, Riverland Village, Rock Island, Sailboat Bend, and South Middle River, according to the city of Fort Lauderdale. Work includes swale restoration and replacement of driveways, sidewalks, and pavement disturbed during construction. The project began in January 2026 with a spring completion target.

The pipe replacement is one piece of Fortify Lauderdale, a citywide commitment of up to $500 million to stormwater and flood prevention across 17 neighborhoods, the city said. The program builds on an earlier $200 million initiative targeting the city's seven most vulnerable neighborhoods, several of which overlap with the current project areas.

The April 12, 2023, flood dropped 25.91 inches of rain in 24 hours, the National Weather Service reported, overwhelming drainage systems citywide and exposing longstanding infrastructure vulnerabilities. The National Weather Service characterized the extreme rainfall rates as a 1-in-1,000-year event.

The Fortify Lauderdale program has also included construction of stormwater preserves, installation of tidal control valves, new outfall connections, catch basin construction, and swale reconstruction across the city, according to the city. A separate ongoing project is cleaning and inspecting approximately 30,000 feet of stormwater pipes larger than 30 inches in diameter within the Middle River Watershed.