Another pump went in near Briar Bay and the Turnpike this week, and city vacuum trucks worked Hamilton Bay and Briar Bay streets. Bulk and yard waste pickup returns Nov. 17.

Significant standing water remains in Briar Bay, The Cove at Briar Bay and Hamilton Bay more than a week after the Nov. 1-2 storm, the city says. The drainage district that runs the communities’ pumps told the city Monday that it is bringing in an electrician so its two pumps can run at the same time.

Mayor Keith A. James set out who is responsible in a statement Monday, Nov. 9. The drainage system belongs to the Hamal Community Development District, not the city, he said.

Updated Nov. 12, evening: the city says another pump was installed near Briar Bay and the Turnpike this week, and it sent two vacuum trucks on Nov. 10. Bulk and yard waste pickup resumes Tuesday, Nov. 17, with no charge for the extra piles. Details below.

Updated Nov. 12: Hamal issued its own statement on Nov. 11. It says a faulty switch on one pump delayed the start of pumping, and its board will review that failure. The water district has lent two more pumps, and garbage and recycling pickup restarted Nov. 11. Details below.

Updated Nov. 11: the city reissued the statement on Nov. 10 to say Hamal, not the Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District, secured the two extra pumps. This story is corrected; see the note at the end.

Who runs the pumps

The Hamal Community Development District maintains the communities’ surface water management system, the mayor’s statement says. The updated statement sets out where the pumps stand:

  • Hamal’s existing system has two pumps that “currently cannot operate simultaneously.”
  • Hamal has secured two more pumps.
  • Hamal told the city Monday morning that an electrician is being brought in so its two pumps can run together.

The city said it has offered both districts personnel, equipment and technical help. “Both districts have informed us that there is nothing further the City can do at this time to assist with drainage operations,” James said. He added that the city “is not withholding permits” or delaying work on the pumping and drainage effort.

Hamal is a special-purpose local government created under Chapter 190 of Florida law. The West Palm Beach City Commission established it on Jan. 8, 2001, by Ordinance 3390-00, the district’s website says. Its board of supervisors next meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the Briar Bay Clubhouse, 3400 Celebration Blvd. The district’s website carried no notice about the flooding on Tuesday morning; it posted a statement on Nov. 11.

What the district says happened

Hamal set out its account in an official statement dated Nov. 11. It apologized for “the hardship this storm has caused” and said all members of its own board live in the district and were flooded too.

The statement gives this timeline:

  • About 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1: a contractor’s technician inspecting the pump stations found one pump “not functioning due to a faulty switch.”
  • About 2 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2: the switch was fixed and both pumps were running, the district says. A technician rechecked them at about 11 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: water levels showed “no noticeable improvement.” The district engineer recommended two extra pumps, and the district secured them.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 4: the extra pumps went to one retention area.
  • Thursday, Nov. 5: the district decided against water or vacuum trucks, citing their small capacity and doubt over where the water could go. It moved the extra pumps to a second retention area to help with street flooding.

“The switch issue delayed the start of pumping, and the CDD’s Board will review this issue,” the statement says. It also says some residents and officials “have reported conditions and pump status that differ from earlier District updates, and we take those reports seriously.”

The South Florida Water Management District has provided two more pumps, according to the statement. The drainage authorities downstream told Hamal that the system behind the community “has remained open, and water is clearing, though slowly.”

Once water levels are back to normal, the district engineer will inspect the stormwater system and pump station and report to the board at a public meeting. The board will also review the switch failure and the pump station’s backup arrangements.

What the city did this week

The city set out its latest work in a flooding update on Nov. 12. It repeated that the drainage serving these communities is outside the city’s flood control jurisdiction. The update says:

  • Another pump: one more pump was installed near Briar Bay and the Turnpike earlier this week. The city is working with flood management partners on adding more pumping.
  • Vacuum trucks: on Tuesday, Nov. 10, the city sent two vacuum trucks to take standing water from spots Hamal picked out as places the trucks could make a measurable difference.
  • Trash: a second round of garbage and recycling pickup ran Thursday, Nov. 12.

“I want our residents to know that their concerns are heard, and they have not been forgotten,” Mayor Keith A. James said in the update.

Why the water is slow to drain

The Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District, which the city says it has been in contact with since the storm, said in a notice on its website that its area got 17 to 24 inches of rain over three days. Its pumping stations and gates are running at permitted capacity, it said. But “most receiving bodies are at or near capacity, and it will take time for the water to recede.”

West Palm Beach recorded 7.39 inches on Nov. 2 alone, a daily record. Our record rainfall story has the figures.

Trash pickup and getting out

Garbage and recycling pickup restarted Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Hamilton Bay and Briar Bay, according to a flooding update on the city’s website. Crews will pick up extra bagged garbage left next to carts, the city said.

  • The city removed the dumpsters from Briar Bay on Wednesday.
  • Two dumpsters stay at the front of Hamilton Bay for anyone who missed cart service.
  • Bulk and yard waste pickup resumes Tuesday, Nov. 17, in both communities. The city said Nov. 12 that it will not bill residents for extra bulk or yard waste that piled up during the flooding.

These streets normally get Tuesday service; see our trash and recycling page.

The city partially activated its Emergency Operations Center on Nov. 2. Since then it has offered rides to shelters for residents who cannot leave their neighborhoods and helped hospice nurses reach patients, the mayor said. Police and Fire Rescue can still help residents leave the communities or reach medical care.

Help in Riviera Beach from Tuesday

Palm Beach County, the city of Riviera Beach and the Florida Division of Emergency Management opened a Multi-Agency Resource Center on Tuesday, Nov. 10, for anyone hit by the flooding. Riviera Beach is about 4 miles north of downtown West Palm Beach.

  • Where: Wells Recreation Center, 2409 Avenue H West, Riviera Beach
  • Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Who is there: the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the county’s emergency management and community services departments, the American Red Cross, United Way of the Palm Beaches, Catholic Charities, the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and 211

The county’s state of local emergency now runs through Saturday, Nov. 14, under its latest extension. Businesses can report flood damage to the state at FloridaDisaster.biz by choosing “2026 Fall Flooding,” the county’s Nov. 9 update says.

What it means for you

  • Drainage and pumping questions: call the Hamal Community Development District at 561-571-0010 or email info@hamalcdd.com. The city says it does not run the system.
  • Emergencies: call 911. City police and fire crews can still help you leave the neighborhood.
  • Trash: carts are being picked up again. Leave extra bagged garbage next to your cart. Bulk and yard waste pickup resumes Tuesday, Nov. 17, at no extra charge for the backlog.
  • Help with housing, benefits, insurance or legal questions: go to the resource center in Riviera Beach, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Have your say: the Hamal board meets at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at the clubhouse.
  • Other city services: the city hotline is 561-822-2222.

Our county emergency story lists every other way to get help after the flooding.

Correction, Nov. 11, 2026: An earlier version of this story said the Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District supplied two extra pumps. The city’s Nov. 9 statement said so, but the city corrected it on Nov. 10: the Hamal Community Development District secured them.