Cape Coral upgrades drainage system ahead of hurricane season

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—Cape Coral is working to prevent flooding as the rainy season and hurricane season approach in less than two months.

Video from last July along Diplomat Parkway shows cars trying to navigate a water-covered road that looks more like a river after heavy rain. The city says it's working on upgrading its stormwater infrastructure.

One of those improved drainage areas is on Chiquita Boulevard, just north of Northwest 17th Terrace. Yesterday's rainfall is a good example of why this weir is getting an upgrade.

Flooding is a problem, especially in northwest Cape Coral. The city says this infrastructure upgrade will help reduce flooding and strengthen the system across the city.

Dennis Knapp lives right next to the canal and all of the construction that comes with the upgrade. Despite rainfall of more than 2.5 inches on Thursday, water levels remain low due to the drought.

The point of this upgrade is to have a system that can regulate water flow more quickly and safely when heavy rain moves in. Knapp says crews have been working on the upgrade for nearly two months, but should wrap up this week.

He doesn't believe this area needs to be prioritized for this work, but says it doesn't hurt to work ahead, either. The city says another weir is almost finished getting an upgrade at Chiquita Boulevard and Tropicana Parkway.

WINK News reached out to the city to find out why this area was prioritized. Our team is currently waiting for a response.