TAMPA, Fla. — Crews in Hillsborough County are preparing for severe weather expected later tonight. Those preparations began with clearing flood-prone areas.

What You Need To Know

  • The city of Tampa's Mobility and Storm Water Department were out Friday to begin clearing drains ahead of the storm

  • The department says drains are usually clogged with yard debris, but can sometimes see other things like furniture

  • The department recommends you check your drains ahead of any storm and call if you need help clearing drains

  • Track the weather

Flooding is a big concern anytime it rains, so the city is trying to get ahead and prevent flooding from happening.

City of Tampa’s Mobility and Storm Water Team Leader Derek Graham says one of the most affected areas when it comes to flooding is South Tampa. The drainage system impacts Dale Mabry Highway all the way to Manhattan Avenue.

It’s an area where he says many residents live and are on a lower-lying area. He says clearing drains are crucial to help prevent any damage to homes.

What you typically would see are tree branches in drains, but there could be other cases.

“Sometimes, we get stuff like furniture in them and that’s the stuff we need to get out of them, so we want the public to get out and look at your ditch,” he said.

Graham also says no matter how bad a storm is, they constantly have crews out checking on flood-prone areas.

To help mitigate the issue, the city also pumps ponds to help with flooding concerns.

The city also recommends to stay alert and call if you see any debris in your drains.