PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The anticipation of significant rainfall this weekend has residents in Riviera Bay feeling anxious. This area is prone to flooding, and numerous residents have either relocated or are in the midst of recovering from last year’s hurricanes.
“After the last hurricane, many places were inundated, so we’re quite apprehensive. We move our cars even if there’s just a forecast for heavy rain,” shared Anne Ingram, who returned home only two months ago after her house was hit by the hurricanes.
Ingram still has pieces of furniture on her front porch that were damaged by the hurricanes. She and other locals are left wondering just how severe the situation might become.
“We never really had anything like this, as traumatic as that last storm, and for every storm now it’s that little hint in my brain that’s like, ‘Hm, what do I need to prep’,” said Kaitlin Schnell, who also lives in Riviera Bay.
Schnell lives near a small body of water with a pump right above it. With enough water, it can flood into her neighborhood. Other lakes with pumps in Rivera Bay are near Macoma Drive and Riverside Drive.
In a Facebook post, St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard said the Public Works Administrator told her the lakes are below sea level and plenty of storage is available to handle the potential rains this week.
They said the pumps will click on if the levels are high enough. Gabbard mentioned how they didn’t always have these protocols in place.
“I feel good about it, you know, it’s a good solution for now,” Schnell said.
Residents want to know where the water is being pumped to and if it will create a problem for people elsewhere. They ask if dredging is a possibility and hope leaders are exploring all options.
“It’s good to know that they are doing something,” Ingam said.
Councilwoman Gabbad said the pumps aren’t the only answer to infrastructure concerns, but they help make the community more resilient. She also noted how different bodies of water and conditions require different methods to get the water out.
