TAMPA, Fla. — Areas across Tampa Bay are dealing with the aftermath of flooding from recent storms, including Wednesday night.
What You Need To Know
- Zephyrhills and St. Petersburg are among many Bay area cities dealing with flooding
- In St. Pete, city officials said they have stormwater maintenance teams inspecting facilities to handle any additional rainfall, and police and fire will be out shutting down roads when they flood
- ABOVE: Watch flooding report from St. Petersburg
- SEE ALSO: Hillsborough County crews managing flooding in Town ’N Country area
- PREVIOUS: Heavy rains bring flooding across the Bay area
Pasco County, for example, is working around the clock to clean up residential areas.
In Zephyrhills, those at the Silverado Golf and Country Club have seen a significant amount of rainfall this week — rainfall that has turned into flooding. Yards of drainage lines and orange traffic barrels greeted visitors Thursday.
It was a sight that Silver Oaks resident Carleen Heim had to see for herself.
“It’s the engineering. It’s poorly planned,” Heim said. “They’ve got to get back to the drawing board and get it figured out.”
After past flooding events, the county built Geiger Pond as a mitigation measure. But residents there say more needs to be done.
Heim says she hopes these flood levels don’t get any higher.
“Being in the middle of peak hurricane season, I mean obviously things are kind of quiet right now for the next week,” she said. “But if we get a major hurricane or tons of rain more, I mean, it’s not going to be a pretty picture.”
A spokesperson with the city of Zephyrhills says they are working with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Pasco County emergency management and Pasco County government to manage the current flooding.
Public works has placed a water pump extending to Twin Bridges Road to alleviate flooding in the Silverado golf course and Silver Oaks area.
ABOVE: Spectrum Bay News 9's Fallon Silcox reports on flooding in Hillsborough County
FLOODED ROADS IN ST. PETE
In St. Petersburg, city officials said they have stormwater maintenance teams inspecting facilities to handle any additional rainfall, and police and fire will be out shutting down roads when they flood.
Near the intersection of 8th Avenue and 63rd Street North, the water rose so high it made the road nearly impassable. By Thursday afternoon, however, most of the water had receded from Carol Lachance's home, but the aftermath remains.
Her backyard still has standing water, and water remains in the street as well.
"Yesterday, it was really the highest it has ever been in our neighborhood here in several years, even with a hurricane coming through,” she said.
Thanks to a cell phone video from her neighbor across the street, she got a good look at a driver who decided to try and avoid the flooding by driving through her property. He eventually had to stop.
Near the intersection of 13th Avenue North and 65th Street North in St. Pete, John Liubscher says he was dealing with high water as well.
"Water rose across the pond very quickly,” he said. “It was like, within two hours it was up to the top and starting to come over."
He’s lived in his home for 10 years and says he’s never seen flooding come so close to his home. The only time he remembers water rising from the pond at all is from the recent Hurricane Debby.
Residents are hopeful that they won’t have to deal with any additional flooding, but with more rain in the forecast, they’ll be ready for whatever comes.
St. Pete city officials say there are no plans to design systems that can handle additional rain because of the high price.
