PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been a soggy summer for the Bay area.

According to Spectrum Bay News 9 meteorologists, the area is just about an inch of rain away from this being the wettest August on record.

What You Need To Know

  • St. Petersburg woman says her neighborhood has dealt with flooding for years 

  • Monica Garcia routinely deals with flooding when hard rains hit her Martin Luther King Street North neighborhood

  • FORECAST: Scattered afternoon storms

That’s according to the official gauge at Tampa International Airport.

A St. Petersburg woman says her neighborhood has dealt with flooding for years and it’s only getting worse.

Monica Garcia and her neighbors routinely deal with flooding when hard rains hit her Martin Luther King Street North neighborhood.

Flooding is just part of the problem. The other is vehicles driving through the water, pushing into residents’ homes.

“Usually up to here, just barely kissing the door,” Garcia said, describing how far up the water comes. “So, I could put a towel and be fine, but the waves will push with force the water into the house.”

Garcia’s family has lived at their home between Murphy Avenue North and 58th Avenue North for nearly 30 years. She said the first time they saw flooding was in 1999, and while it doesn’t last long, it’s gotten steadily worse.

“Year round, you’ll see some of these houses with sandbags,” she said. “Across the street, the poor lady is dumping out little buckets, you know, and you’re like, ‘That’s not gonna help, ma’am.’

“You might as well just sit back and cry or something.”

St. Pete’s Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said in a statement that “the city is acutely aware” of the challenges flooding presents to some neighborhoods.     

The department’s stormwater master plan is aimed at fixing that with a focus on areas north and south of 54th Avenue North along MLK Jr. Street.

The statement says: “This $16 million project is a key component of our robust infrastructure strategy. With this in mind, we are currently prioritizing other projects within the aforementioned master plan and look forward to moving forward with this essential work to ensure the safety and resilience of our community.

A city spokesperson said it could be more than five years before they can address this area.