North Miami residents are reporting pooled water and backed-up drains at several locations even as the city’s stormwater work is organized as a longer-term, citywide effort. The reports raise questions about specific drainage problems, but the $11 million figure refers to a broader flood plan—not the cost of the trench near Northeast 121st Street and 10th Avenue.
The city’s stormwater master plan update, reported in March, identified 22 vulnerable zones, according to CBS News Miami. North Miami’s proposed $11 million plan was presented in May 2025; if approved by the City Council, improvements were expected to roll out over five years, while full implementation of long-term fixes was estimated to take 15 to 20 years, WLRN reported. That schedule describes the broader effort, not a completion date for each neighborhood project.
Complaints at more than one location
In a later report, CBS News Miami described residents’ continuing flooding concerns on Northeast 135th Street and 121st Street. Laurie Landgrebe, who lives near Northeast Third Court, recorded water flowing into the street on September 28 and reported recurring washouts. She also documented water backing up at a drain on Northeast 135th Street and said the problem in her area had persisted for years, the station reported.
Near Northeast 121st Street and 10th Avenue, residents told the station that water still collects after the city installed a drainage trench and system intended to mitigate flooding there. The work followed flooding in the area the previous June, CBS News Miami reported. The station also reported that a North Miami spokesperson said the city would follow up on continuing flooding concerns; it had not received responses from representatives for the two properties with backed-up drains by publication.
What the city describes—and what remains unclear
North Miami says its Storm Water Utility handles drain cleaning and right-of-way flooding issues, as well as street sweeping and canal cleaning. The city’s description does not identify who controls the particular trench or drains residents described, or establish their current operating condition. In May, the city cited a Northeast 135th Street lot for deficient drainage and retention systems, but CBS News Miami reported that the citation set no correction deadline and that officials had not answered whether the drains were fixed.
The city’s proposed FY 2026-2027 budget says minor storm-drain construction, repairs and retrofits are prioritized under the adopted Stormwater Master Plan, while larger capital projects are coordinated with qualified contractors. The budget excerpt does not specify funding for the trench or other projects discussed here, according to the City of North Miami.
A separate North Miami dispute illustrates that flooding concerns can involve different properties and alleged causes. Homeowners Eileen and Irenee Bicaba told WLRN their property had experienced severe flooding for years, with the worst problems dating to 2018, when nearby development began. Their account is separate from the current reports and does not establish what is causing flooding at the locations described by CBS News Miami.
The available accounts document residents’ complaints and the city’s stated planning approach, but do not establish whether the specific trench or drains are functioning as intended or what work is scheduled for them. The long implementation horizon for the citywide plan does not, by itself, resolve those site-specific questions.
