Hillsborough County approves $70M in stormwater upgrades after 2024 hurricane season

Recovery funding approved after 2024 hurricanes

Thousands of families across the Bay Area are still recovering from the devastating 2024 hurricane season that flooded neighborhoods which had never taken on water before. FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Thousands of families across the Bay Area are still recovering from the devastating 2024 hurricane season that flooded neighborhoods which had never taken on water before. 

Now, county leaders are taking action, approving millions aimed at preventing the same damage from happening again.

By the numbers:

Hillsborough County commissioners approved $70 million in funding Wednesday for stormwater and infrastructure improvements across the county as part of the Rebuilding For Tomorrow campaign.

The money comes from a larger federal disaster recovery grant and will fund projects in communities including Seffner, the University area and Town ‘n’ Country. 

Plans include drainage cleaning and restoration, regional stormwater upgrades and resiliency improvements, including backup generators for 171 wastewater lift stations.

A portion of the funding will also go toward building a permanent stormwater pump station in Seffner, an area hit hard by flooding during Hurricane Milton.

Dig deeper:

The funding follows a destructive 2024 hurricane season that left some neighborhoods underwater for weeks.

In Seffner, residents say a small 15-acre lake overflowed, flooding more than 20 homes and trapping dozens of others.

Homeowners like Kevin Cash, who has lived in the Shangri-La neighborhood for decades, say the flooding was unlike anything they had ever seen.

"It was unprecedented," Cash said, noting water levels rose higher than ever before recorded in the area.

Temporary pumps were installed days after the storm, but some residents say it took weeks for water to fully recede.

What they're saying:

Residents say improvements are necessary, but long overdue.

"If we're going to put the development in, we've gotta figure out a way to deal with stormwater," Cash said.

What's next:

County officials say most of the approved projects will move into the design phase by this summer.

Leftover funding will go toward programs to help homeowners still recovering from hurricane damage.