TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa is gearing up for the current hurricane season amid lessons learned from last year's severe flooding caused by storms Helene and Milton.
Mayor Jane Castor highlighted the city's vulnerability at a press conference, revealing significant flood impacts last year, including stormwater surges that delivered four to seven feet of water in coastal areas and rainfall of up to 18 inches in under two weeks.
"We have 126 miles of waterfront in the city of Tampa alone, and that had an incredible impact," Mayor Castor said.
WATCH: Tampa prepares for hurricane season with enhanced stormwater measures
Low-lying neighborhoods, particularly Forest Hills and areas around Fowler and South Tampa, experienced severe flooding exacerbated by the topography and water coming from both within and outside the city.
Following a recently updated vulnerability study, it was discovered that not hurricanes, but rather "extreme rain events," are the city's largest vulnerability.
"We've seen those—not only here in our city but nationwide," the mayor stated. She expressed concern that these events are likely to worsen as climate change progresses.
While hoping to avoid hurricanes this season, Mayor Castor emphasized a proactive approach, saying, "Hope isn't a strategy." The city's stormwater maintenance group has been working year-round to ensure that drains, ditches, and pipes are clear ahead of potential storms. She noted, "We have all hands on deck including our stormwater personnel and two contractors, utilizing resources from various city departments to keep our systems clean."
A major point of discussion was the recent failure of generators at stormwater pumping stations during the last storm season. Tampa operates 13 stormwater pumping stations, with only a few equipped with permanent generators.
To enhance this setup, the city is adding eight temporary generators and plans to make them permanent at a projected cost of $11 million over the next two years. These generators can run for approximately 24 hours before needing fuel.
"There is no stormwater system in the world that could have prevented the flooding we saw in Milton," Castor explained, acknowledging the limits of current systems during extreme weather events.
The city has ramped up maintenance efforts to six days a week, involving contractors for inspections and cleaning to prepare for the ongoing storm season.
Mayor Castor also emphasized the importance of community involvement, urging residents to get flood insurance, particularly as no system can entirely prevent flooding in extreme circumstances. She also urged residents to report any debris clogging storm drains and to sign up for Alert Tampa to receive real-time storm updates.
In light of last year's flooding in Forest Hills, where numerous homes were affected, Mayor Castor acknowledged the area's unique vulnerabilities, stating, "That is one of our lowest points." Efforts are being made to position additional generators in critical locations to help manage stormwater effectively.
Immanuel Yulee recently moved to the University area. The neighborhood also saw feet of water following Hurricane Milton.
"The flooding was a big part of my mind moving over here," he admitted.
He has family members who were trapped in their homes for about a week during last year's storms.
"By most of them being on the first floor, they couldn't really come outside. Their cars were flooded. It was just, pretty much just stressed out, just like everybody else." he said.
He says he has prepared by purchasing sandbags and making sure his insurance covers flooding.
"I say just pretty much hoping for the best or preparing for the worst," he stated.
As the city ramps up its stormwater maintenance efforts and positions additional generators in vulnerable areas, Immanuel remains cautiously optimistic. "Yeah, you gotta experience some things in order enough for us to build off of it," he said. "So I really hope that... some changes get made. If not, then got a whole another whole another year to deal with."
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