Tampa wants to look at what went wrong with the stormwater system during the hurricanes
Several neighborhoods in the City of Tampa — like Forest Hills and Parkland Estates — saw flooding that severely damaged homes, even though they weren't in primary flood zones.
City officials are citing water pump and generator failures for some of that flooding.
Now, the Tampa City Council is looking for answers on how to prevent it from happening again.
Parkland Estates resident Tina Adams has lived in her home of 25 years. She said her family did everything to prepare, including using sand bags and installing shutters.
But it still didn't prevent water from entering the home.
"It wasn't the hurricane that got us," Adams said. "It was the stormwater system and the sewage. We are 17 feet above sea level. We are in Flood Zone X. We are in evacuation zone C. We should not flood."
Adams also said the drainage and stormwater issues are not anything new.
"This is not an isolated incident," Adams said. "We have had over 10 flood events since June. None this severe, but lots of damage."
Councilman Luis Viera is pushing for an independent study looking at Tampa's infrastructure, stormwater systems, and successes and failures that happened during the preparation and aftermath of Helene and Milton.
"Because guys, there's a lot of families who lost everything and who do not have flood insurance, and who were in no flood zones," Viera said.
The council members listened to over an hour of public comment from many residents who lived in Flood Zone X, which is the least prone to flooding in the city, and still saw water enter their homes.
Meanwhile, Tampa City Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak passed a motion to have every city department report to them an analysis on what went well, and what didn't go well during the storm events. That'll be due by the beginning of November.
Councilman Bill Carlson said the city needs to prioritize a new storm recovery plan following these devastating events.
"Yes, it might have been the worst storm in 100 years, but it may come again next year, and we need to be prepared for it," Carlson said.
He also said the stormwater systems "completely failed" and needs to be rehauled as well.
City staff gave a presentation at the beginning of the meeting outlining ongoing recovery efforts.
