South Florida Water Management prepares for hurricane season

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A drill is now underway within the South Florida Water Management District, to make sure it's ready for hurricane season.

The drill is known as "Hurricane Freddy."

Crews at headquarters and pump stations throughout the region are reacting to a mock Category 4 storm.

During the drill, pump operators make sure equipment and staff are ready and in place to prevent any major flooding brought on by the storm.

One issue crews must work around is the heavy rainfall we've seen early in the wet season.

Susan Sylvester, chief of the water control operations bureau, says the district has already seen enough rainfall this wet season to bring water levels up to the flood control line.

Sylvester says, "At the start of hurricane season, you want water levels at their lowest point, so as the rain continues and as you move into hurricane season water levels have an area to go into so that they're ready for the dry season."

Once the drill is complete, district staff will assess how well employees responded to the mock hurricane and figure out what they can do better when a storm actually strikes.