WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — King tide flooding has been impacting roads along Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach this week, but residents on one nearby street say their problem doesn't end when the tide goes out.
Neighbors on Bloomfield Drive told WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman that water can linger for hours and that they have been trying to get the city's attention over drainage concerns for years.
WATCH THE FULL REPORT BELOW:
Hoffman met the residents while reporting on the flooding associated with high winds and King tides.
Even at low tide, he found portions of Bloomfield Drive still covered by water.
Flooding lingers after high tide
For days, residents around Flagler Drive have been dealing with higher-than-normal flooding.
"A little hard to walk on Flagler when there's two and a half feet of water in the morning," Hampton Bebee told Hoffman.
Hours after high tide, Hoffman saw water recede from many of the streets in the area.
But not everywhere.
On Bloomfield Drive, just off South Flagler Drive, portions of the street remained flooded.
That's where Hoffman met longtime resident Alfredo Sanchez.
"I've lived here since '74," Sanchez told Hoffman. "I'm not going anywhere."
Sanchez walked Hoffman down the street and described a problem he said residents have been dealing with for about five years.
According to Sanchez, every time significant rain or king tides bring water into the area, surrounding streets can dry out while water remains on Bloomfield Drive. He said the lingering water leaves behind muck, debris and rust on sidewalks.
"This water shouldn't be here," Sanchez said, pointing out that it was still there six hours after high tide.
Resident says drainage has been a problem for years
For Sanchez, the water remaining at low tide is evidence of a broader drainage problem on his block.
"Very frustrating for that water to have been gone because it shouldn't have been there in the first place," Sanchez said. "But for that water to be there at low tide now, when it had six hours to drain out, this is the only city, the only block that does that."
Sanchez told Hoffman that residents have tried to raise the issue with the city for years but have not seen a lasting resolution.
Now, he is asking WPTV for help getting answers.
"Put some pressure on the city," Sanchez told Hoffman. "I've called the city, and we don't get any response."
Hoffman reached out to the city of West Palm Beach seeking answers about the drainage problems described by residents and what can be done to address them.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
