$1.3M federal grant helps Bay Area plan for post-disaster recovery
Post-disaster mitigation plan
The City of Tampa is finalizing its Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan, a roadmap for how to recover after major hurricanes and flooding.�Jennifer Kveglis reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The City of Tampa is finalizing its Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan, a roadmap for how to recover after major hurricanes and flooding.
That plan will soon be joined with those from Pinellas, Hillsborough and Hernando counties, creating a regional strategy supported by a $1.3 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Program.
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Officials said the funding, which was secured after Hurricane Ian in 2022, will help guide how the region rebuilds stronger and faster after future disasters.
Why you should care:
Emergency managers said recent storms like Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton highlighted the need for coordinated recovery strategies that go beyond city limits.
"This is really about defining and developing strategies and policies that help prepare the city for disasters," said Diane Quigley, the senior resilience project manager with Stantec, the firm engineering the plan.
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What they're saying:
Public workshops have played a key role in shaping the plan. At Tuesday’s final meeting in Tampa, residents marked high, medium or low priorities on strategies ranging from infrastructure upgrades to housing and economic redevelopment.
"It’s one thing for us as public servants to come up with these strategies, but really getting the community input is what makes a solid plan," said Tampa Emergency Management Director John Antapasis.
What's next:
Later this year, the four jurisdictions will hold additional public meetings to review the regional master plan. Officials aim to finalize it by spring 2026.
The next public meeting in the regional effort is set for October 8 at the Miller Park & Life Center in Tampa from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Pasco County, meanwhile, has secured its own funding and is working on a separate plan.
The Source: This story is based on reporting from FOX 13 News’ Jennifer Kveglis, who attended the final public input meeting for Tampa’s redevelopment plan and spoke with city officials and project managers.