ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — St. Petersburg has approved the start of a study of a flood gate system to help manage flooding throughout the city.
The city plans to install two flood gates in the Shore Acres area. Amy Cardy shared a video showcasing flooding in the cul-de-sac near her home during last year’s hurricanes.
“Just a dash of PTSD,” Cardy said jokingly.
While she can now chuckle at the situation, Cardy recalled the devastation in her community, with her own house being flooded. She expressed that life won’t return to normal and will remain unpredictable unless the city addresses its stormwater system.
“There’s still a lot of anger aimed at our local government,” she said when asked about the temperature of residents in Shore Acres.
Thursday, city leaders approved a plan to study the potential for a flood gate system in Shore Acres. Just to do the study is nearly $150,000.
“This will bring relief to just a phenomenal amount of people,” said city councilmember Mike Harting.
The tidal gates are designed to improve the capacity for managing water flow and drainage during rain and high tide scenarios. Engineers note that the effectiveness of the flood gates will need a thorough assessment.
“We want to ensure we don’t negatively affect another community. Just shifting the problem from one area to another is not our goal,” stated Brejesh Prayman, the Director of Engineering and Capital Improvements.
City leaders said the project could benefit a quarter of the entire city, not just Shore Acres.
Cardy said it feels like the 2024 hurricanes were just a month ago. She hopes there is some relief coming from the city’s efforts.
“I believe it’s long overdue. These discussions should have started a while back, but at least they’re happening now. So, focusing on the positive,” Cardy added.
City officials stated that for every six inches of water impacting Shore Acres, there is a potential for 52 million gallons of storage capacity. Hence, in a major storm, the gates could close to prevent sewage from entering residential zones.
