HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Crews in Tampa are working around the clock to prepare the stormwater systems for the upcoming storm season.
This comes after hundreds of homes and neighborhoods flooded during the back-to-back hurricanes last fall. It has been more than 6 months since Hurricane Milton, but people in Tampa are still recovering.
Andi Robinson gave us a tour of her home. The first floor is still unlivable after she had 22 inches of water rush through her home.
“Essentially, it has uprooted our lives,” Robinson said.
She said it has been a long process to deal with repairs, but as we approach the next storm season, she is thankful for the work being done to prepare her neighborhood.
“The city has been great, they've been working on the drainage now for ever since the hurricanes,” Robinson said.
I spoke with Vik Bhide from the City about what they are doing to prevent this type of flooding from happening again.
“Our team has been working on that recovery through January, and since then we have been focused on very significant way of maintenance of our stormwater system,” Bhide said.
He said crews have been working around the clock to clear debris from pipes, ditches, and ponds. He said they are also servicing pump stations and addressing storm cave-ins throughout the city. Bhide explained that they are using tiny cameras to inspect the inside of the pipes.
Bhide said he is confident the city will be more prepared to handle flooding this year.
“We feel good about being ready for hurricane season with the system that we have and having it cleaned and available and ready for the rainy season,” Bhide said.
If you have stormwater or flooding-related concerns about your neighborhood, you can call 813-274-3101.
The city is also considering adding new machinery to its stormwater fleet. Bhide said that it will help with pond maintenance.
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