Record summer rain leads to more than 4,000 Tampa potholes

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The city of Tampa said heavy rain over the summer led to double the number of potholes the city usually deals with.

"All I know is right now, my car is making some kind of funky noises," said Pedro Rodriguez, a frequent Tampa driver.

The big wave of rain came on Aug. 1, officials said.

The rain drowned south Tampa's roads, and came during a year that saw the city get 19 more inches of rain than usual.

City workers said they've repaired over 4,000 potholes, which is double their usual haul of 1,900.

"We had our crews working overtime for several months," said Jean Duncan, of the city's Streets Division.

The city said its two crews of three workers are capable of knocking out 75 potholes a day.

For some, they've had to dip into a special fund of $750,000 to make the fixes.

"Full sections of roadways have been damaged by the floods we have had," said Duncan. "Those require more than just a pothole fix. We have had to go in and cut out portions of road."

Aside from the area around Howard and Bayshore, the city said it still has repairs to do near Henderson and Westshore, and Gandy and MacDill.

The buzz about an El Nino winter, a warmer and wetter one, has the city concerned of another pothole wave.

"This is definitely one for the record books," said Duncan. "We would have to go back a number of years to see when it was this bad."

Rodriguez said the potholes have directly blocked his path to a new car.

"I need get a new car, but I am just trying to wear my car out," Rodriguez said.

The city said it still has 228 potholes left to fill.