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New threat: After hurricanes, a drought
In an ironic turn, Tampa Bay needs rain as hurricane recovery continues.
Two years ago this week, Hurricane Helene pushed nearly seven feet of storm surge into Pinellas County, flooding tens of thousands of homes and leaving 12 people dead.
Today, the region faces an ironic reversal: Tampa Bay is still rebuilding from Helene and Hurricane Milton, which arrived soon after, but it needs rain – badly enough that a tropical system could provide some of the water Mother Nature withheld during two disappointing rainy seasons.
The region has accumulated a 15.4-inch rainfall deficit over the 12 months ending in August, while rivers, lakes and public water supplies remain depleted. The Southwest Florida Water Management District extended its Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Tuesday, through March 31, 2027.
The C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir held 7.87 billion gallons Sept. 20, half its capacity. The shortage follows below-average rainfall during both the 2025 and 2026 summer rainy seasons.
Rep. Lindsay Cross, whose district includes part of Pinellas County, said residents have some control over demand, particularly outside the home.
“We can reduce how much and when we water our lawns and landscapes. It’s one of the easiest things to curb usage,” Cross said. “There’s a role for all of us to play in this. We can use more drought-tolerant plants in our yards. But some of this is just up to Mother Nature.”
Outdoor water use accounts for more than half of household consumption, according to the water management district. The shortage order limits lawn irrigation to one day per week and restricts watering hours.
The timing contrasts September 2024, when Helene passed about 105 miles west of Pinellas County as a Category 3 hurricane. Its 6.67-foot storm surge damaged more than 33,500 residences and 689 businesses in the county.
Milton followed less than two weeks later.
The recovery is not over. Pinellas County is still administering federally funded programs for families affected by Helene, Milton and 2023’s Hurricane Idalia, including money to rebuild homes and reimburse disaster-related expenses.
How could residents who spent the past two years repairing homes, replacing belongings and navigating recovery programs want to hear another storm name uttered in the news after that? Yet, The region’s water reserves need sustained rainfall, lest Floridians face another test.
“Since early this year, there have been numerous droughts within the state of Florida,” said Cross. “I think roughly half of the counties in the state of Florida. Many wildfires were reported in Florida. Even fireworks were nearly prohibited [so as to not to accidentally start a fire]. What it points to is a changing climate and that weather patterns are not normal.”
The current shortage also raises questions about how Tampa Bay prepares for prolonged dry periods. Cross noted that previous droughts prompted costly investments intended to diversify the region’s water supply.
“When we had droughts in the past, we had to look at things like building a reservoir, operating a desalination plant,” she said. “Very expensive methods.”
Cross also pointed to a separate, contentious issue voters will decide in November. Amendment 3 would increase Florida’s homestead property-tax exemption to $250,000. The state’s five water management districts receive varying shares of their budgets from property taxes.
Along with Cross, critics of the amendment contend that reducing that revenue could affect work ranging from drinking-water supply to flood control.
Water managers, meanwhile, have taken an additional step to stretch Tampa Bay’s supply. The district issued an emergency order this month allowing Tampa Bay Water to make additional withdrawals from the Tampa Bypass Canal.
