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Commissioner’s Message

Hello District 1 Neighbors!

s we all know now, the rains of April 12th were classified as a thousand-
year storm, and the subsequent flooding became a major emergency
Asituation for City residents and employees. It is estimated that the Fort
Lauderdale area accumulated approximately 25. 6 inches of rain within 12 hours,
contributing to the historic flash flood event that caused Mayor Trantalis to issue a
state of emergency that Wednesday evening. I would like to take an opportunity to
express gratitude to everyone who came together during this time to offer time and
assistance to affected residents.
John Herbst I’d also like to acknowledge the swiftness of our Emergency Operations Center
District 1 Commissioner and the efforts of City staff who worked around the clock in order to maintain City
operations and aid in rescue and recovery efforts. Due to their hard work, our team
was able to set up emergency shelters and comfort stations throughout the City in
affected districts. 600 neighbors were rescued from flood waters the first night, and
over 900 affected residents were rescued due to being trapped or stranded by flood
waters during the emergency period.
Debris removal efforts continue throughout the City and trucks are operating in all
areas that were affected by the flooding. Residents should expect the trucks to make
several passes through the neighborhoods before completion. Please do not place
debris in plastic bags as it will not be picked up. To prepare for debris removal,
please follow the guidelines found at ftlcity.info/debrisremoval. Debris trucks will
continue to run for the next four to six weeks. If you have any questions, please
City Hall, 8th Floor contact our 24/7 Customer Service center at (954) 828-8000.
100 N Andrews Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 City Hall also received up to 8 feet of flooding in the building’s basement, affecting
the building’s HVAC system. In addition, rain leakage was also reported on the
building’s 8th floor. It was discovered the cost of putting the building on “life-support”
would cost approximately $175,000 per day, and that number did not include
the costs associated with restoring the building and bringing it up to current code
requirements. While the City considers new viable options for City Hall, the Utilities
Department has been relocated to the Development Services Department at 700 NW
19th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, 33311.

Our offices have been relocated just to the east of City Hall at 101 NE 3rd Avenue.
All external email systems are restored, and we apologize for any inconvenience that
was experienced during the time that the system was down. We are currently business
Office Contacts
Melissa Whiddon as usual and remain dedicated to serving you, our District 1 neighbors.
District 1 Commission Assistant John Herbst
mwhiddon@fortlaudeerdale.gov District 1 Commissioner
954.828.5033

18 CORAL RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

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