Flood Hazard

Arch Creek, Little Arch Creek, Biscayne Canal, and Oleta River are the four major waterways that traverse the city of North Miami. The majority of our storm sewer system empties and discharges toward one of these four waterways or the Biscayne Bay, which connects directly with the Atlantic Ocean. The waterways are influenced by tides that contribute to drainage and flood problems in the City. When there is a high tide or heavy rainfall, the storm sewer system will rapidly fill-up from surface run-off and tidal waters. This could cause flood conditions in our streets, swale areas, and lawns.

Major Drainage Areas

The city of North Miami is divided into two major drainage areas: (1) the area west of the Biscayne Canal, and (2) the area east of the Biscayne Canal. The area west of the Biscayne Canal has primarily sandy soil and a very low water table elevation. The remainder of the City, east of the Biscayne Canal, consists of muck, marl, and sand which primarily has high water table levels.

Flooding from Storms

Your property may be elevated high enough which explains why you may not have experienced flooding. However, this may change in the future. Hurricane Andrew (1992), was not a wet hurricane compared to Hurricane Irene (1999), which registered 13 inches of rain in 24 hours. In 2000, continuous rainfall from the October 3rd “No Name” storm deposited more than 19 inches of rain in 24 hours. This storm inundated local canals and waterways, and caused unprecedented residential property damage and destruction for what was originally forecast as a severe area thunderstorm. And more recently, in 2017, Hurricane Irma produced up to 27 inches of floodwater in flood-prone areas in the City.