Thrive
Flooding wreaks havoc in St. Petersburg
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.
Torrential rains caused widespread flooding Wednesday evening in St. Petersburg, with dozens of stalled vehicles littering roadways that resembled canals.
Social media was abuzz with incredulous, and often stranded, residents warning others of localized dangers and pleading for help from elected officials. To make matters worse, the area will likely see a third consecutive day with downpours.
St. Petersburg received 3-5” inches of rain Tuesday evening, causing manholes to discharge at least 3,000 gallons of untreated wastewater. The saturated city received even more rain Wednesday; nearly half a foot fell on some west St. Pete neighborhoods in hours.
Claude Tankersley, public works administrator, provided a noon update before addressing the city council later Thursday afternoon. He noted that some neighborhoods received over 4″ inches of rain in less than 60 minutes, nearly half the amount that occurred in 30 hours during Tropical Storm Debby.
“When you turn on your sink full blast, even though you may have the drain open below it, not all the water can get down the drain right away,” Tankersley explained. “That’s the same thing with our systems.”
A resident reported that “cars were floating” at 13th Avenue North and 58th Street. Photo: Roberta RamaSanto.
Tankersley suspects manholes that leaked Tuesday overflowed again Wednesday night. However, he said the city operates separate storm and wastewater systems.
Crews are still determining what areas experienced discharges, and the amount. Tankersley noted that wastewater trickles rather than bursts from underground pipes, making it difficult to identify during ongoing flooding.
Tankersley believes some online videos showing bubbling manholes were stormwater overflows. He said the city did record at least one 600-gallon wastewater discharge in a new location.
Tankersley said St. Petersburg’s water systems can accommodate 7.5″ inches of rain in 24 hours. That should keep roads from flooding “completely.”
“We are not going to be designing our systems to handle four to five inches in an hour,” Tankersley said. “It would be in the billions of dollars. I just don’t think we’re prepared to commit ourselves to that kind of cost.”
At roughly 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, Councilmember Richie Floyd warned constituents that area roads remained inundated. “We even had water enter our home in Central Oak Park for the first time,” he wrote.
“Please stay home and be aware that the ground is so saturated that we will likely have issues if it rains again tomorrow!”
The issue was not confined to typically flood-prone parts of the city. One social media user reported water intrusion in Disston Heights, which, at 50 feet above sea level, is one of St. Petersburg’s highest neighborhoods.
Many people, like Floyd, wrote that their homes and streets have not flooded during tropical storms. TV meteorologist Denis Phillips highlighted wind gusts reaching 46 mph Wednesday evening.
The St. Petersburg Police Department reported extensive flooding at 11 intersections. While officers implored residents to stay home, many lacked that option and became trapped by impassable roads.
“I must have missed the ‘flash flood’ warning, and realized I wasn’t the only one,” wrote Sam Hill. “But after standing two hours hip deep in sewer water, just a shout out to the family who owns CJ’s Backstage in St. Petersburg, also a family well-versed in mechanics.”
Driving through flood water causes engine, electrical, brake and suspension damage. Dozens of motorists traversing the city’s westernmost neighborhoods were without running vehicles Thursday morning, as highlighted in the Residents of West St. Pete group.
“Until the city finally does something about the drain, please stay off 22nd Avenue North near 34th Street during huge storms,” wrote a resident in a local Facebook group. “Every single one, someone stalls.”
Another resident called flooding around Walter Fuller Park “unbelievable.” She credited two gentlemen for pushing stalled cars to higher ground in the rain. “Angels for sure!!”
Thomas O’Brien wrote that overflowing sewers inundated his home for the second time this week. He is a 27-year resident and said he has never experienced flooding.
“What is going to happen if we get a hurricane?” he questioned. “My house didn’t get flooded because of the storm, it got flooded because the city has gotten cheap and hasn’t done the proper maintenance on the sewers.”
Mike’s Weather Page shows West St. Pete received 10-12″ of rain over the past 72 hours. Phillips expects scattered rain in the area this evening, with localized flooding. “The worst of it may be a tad later and a bit farther east, but not by much,” he wrote.
Here are additional reactions from concerned residents:
JudyToo
September 6, 2024at11:33 pm
All we need to do is look at who we voted for as Mayor and City Council.
Increased property tax dollars are flowing in with the increase in property values.
We have plenty of money for the Rays STADIUM and the failed PSTA bus system serving 1.5% of residents.
PSTA took billions of taxpayers’ money out of our economy over the last 10 years while riders declined.
We have plenty of money for a failed “affordable housing” program.
BUT…..WE DO NOT HAVE EFFECTIVE STORMWATER DRAINAGE AND SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS.
Wake up, folks. THIS IS OUR FAULT.
Wendy Wesley
September 6, 2024at9:34 am
This short film about St. Pete sewage dumping and stormwater release is very good and worth your time. It is called “St. Pete Unfiltered.” https://vimeo.com/333223417?&login=true
Will Michaels
September 5, 2024at9:05 pm
Now is the time to take a deeper look at our planning for stormwater and storm/hurricane surge. At last report the city is planning to increase funding for implementing the 20-year $1 Billion Stormwater Master Plan from $17 Million this year to $25 Million next year. Yet the Public Works Administrator has calculated in order to accomplish the plan in 20 years we need to be investing at the rate of $50 million per year. Very serious consideration should be given to a significant further increase in funding next year, and even accelerating the plan so it is accomplished sooner than the 20-year timeframe. Also, we do not yet have a plan for storm surge. Whatever funding is needed to accomplish a comprehensive storm surge mitigation plan should be provided now.
S. Rose Smith-Hayes
September 5, 2024at7:12 pm
It is apparent that our sewer system leaves much to be desired. We cannot keep building and do nothing about the sewer system and infrastructure in this city. The warning has been given, please listen City Leaders…….
Tim K
September 5, 2024at5:03 pm
I’ve said it a hundred times and got nothing but push back.The whole cities infrastructure
is being overwhelmed sewer water streets but
also fire police HOSPITALS.The powers that be
are going to suck every last dime out of
Pinellas county and leave it a festering crap
hole!
KDG
September 5, 2024at4:28 pm
I’m a native Floridian. I grew up in Hillsborough County and have been a resident of Pinellas County since 1982. The amount of rain we’ve been having is not typical but does happen. If you see debris blocking your local sewer grate or entry either remove it yourself of call the city or county asap. Certainly all the development has exacerbated the acute flooding problem. Artificial turf, hard scape (concrete patios) zero lot line homes, townhomes and apartments, complete lack of green space and extremely flat terrain makes dissipation of water pretty impossible when it falls in torrents. Follow the Obama Doctrine when approaching flooded roads/intersections which is “Don’t Do Stupid Shit”.
John Strauss
September 5, 2024at4:05 pm
Ms Odessa Jackson’s comments above about white people are offensive and racist. Bet she’s black but blacks can’t be racist right??? If it wasn’t for white folks, she wouldn’t even have a house to live in. Maybe she prefers to live in the mud huts her ancestors built?
Odessa Jackson
September 5, 2024at3:25 pm
Who’s building and buying in these swampland marshland and flood zone.. and creating these concrete jungles other than white people…the original land grabbers…day of reckoning is here.. Mother nature is going to get that stolen land back one way or another!!!
Sandy G
September 5, 2024at1:13 pm
It’s never flooded in my neck of the woods and now it’s a regular occurrence. I’ve lived here for years and NEVER did my street flood. Even with torrential downpours.
Where do we think all this water is going to go in a concrete jungle???
Please get your head out of the clouds and quit permitting these projects until there is a permanent fix!!!!
I love this city and I don’t want to see it under water.