Residents wake up to Hurricane Debby’s mess

What was then Tropical Storm Debby passed about 90 miles off the Pinellas County coast Sunday before strengthening into a hurricane on its march toward Florida’s Big Bend.

St. Petersburg residents continue feeling the storm’s impact.

The area’s first major storm of the 2024 hurricane season made landfall near Steinhatchee at around 7 a.m. Monday with 80 mph winds. As of 9 a.m., St. Petersburg has received over six inches of rain in 24 hours. City officials expected a three-to-five-foot storm surge overnight.

Some areas – like Seminole – have received nearly eight inches of rain, and counting. Winds continue pushing onshore, and the next high tide – estimated at 2.64 feet – will occur around 2:50 p.m.

Councilmember Ed Montanari represents Shore Acres, the city’s lowest-lying neighborhood. He found widespread flooding during a visual inspection Monday morning, “especially at the intersection of 40^th Avenue and Shore Acres Boulevard.”

“But the flooding is typical with a storm like this,” Montanari told the Catalyst. “It looks like a typical tropical storm type of event, maybe a little less than previous storms. But until the water goes down, we can’t do a complete assessment.”

Overnight flooding in Shore Acres.

Montanari said at least two homes have water intrusion, and St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is conducting preliminary assessments. The area is closed to outside traffic, and residents “need to be in a high-water vehicle.”

Montanari called it concerning to see the local effects of an offshore tropical storm. He also noted that areas to the east typically face harsher conditions.

The weather station at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg reported wind gusts topping 60 mph multiple times Sunday. Nearly 30,000 Duke Energy Florida customers lost power.

Roughly 25,000 customers remained without electricity as of 8 a.m. Monday. Persistent windy conditions and ongoing downpours will likely hinder local restoration efforts.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge closed in both directions early Monday morning due to high winds. A gust at the adjacent fishing pier reached 70 mph Sunday night.

Transportation officials have closed the Howard Frankland Bridge’s northbound lanes due to water on the road. The Courtney Cambell Causeway remained open as of press time.

The St. Petersburg Police Department has reported myriad street closures due to flooding and downed trees. The agency stated at 5:30 a.m. that water on 4^th Street South between 14^th and 18 Avenues South continues rising due to high tide.

The SPPD stationed officers at the intersections of Shore Acres Boulevard and 40^th Avenue SE; Bayou Grande Boulevard and 62^nd Avenue NE; and 2^nd Avenue South and 5^th Street due to a downed power line, as of its 5 a.m. update.

While St. Petersburg’s Riviera Bay neighborhood “has some flooding,” its “roads are passable,” the agency stated at 5 a.m. “Flooding in the western part of the city has receded. The streets are open,” it added.

A prominent construction site downtown also caused some issues. The SPPD, in its 5 a.m. update, noted that officers barricaded Central Avenue’s 400 block due to scattered debris.

A man claimed to have caught this catfish swimming down his St. Petersburg street as the storm passed.

City of St. Petersburg spokesperson Alizza Punzalan-Randle said all related crews are “heavily focused on damage assessment throughout the city” in a 9 a.m. text message. While response teams have worked throughout the night, she said, “Due to continued weather conditions, some teams are just able to mobilize. We will have an update for media later this morning.”

City officials dedicated $3.75 million to installing new tidal backflow prevention systems (BFPs) in Shore Acres. While those typically mitigate “sunny day” flooding, Kevin Batdorf, president of the neighborhood’s civic association, said “they could help keep water off the streets” in the hours prior to seawall breaches.

“The problem is that there are only 56 BFPs for 146 outflows,” Batdorf added. “If we had 146 BFPs and a pumping system in place, that may prevent major flooding. But I’m not an engineer, so what do I know?”

Montanari believes the city’s efforts have “absolutely” helped reduce inundation. However, he also noted the challenge associated with “a ton of rainfall” and “higher than normal tides”.

Officials have deployed six temporary pumps to bypass the BFPs in “certain parts of the neighborhood.” Montanari also believes proactive efforts to clean streets and storm drains before the storm helped reduce the impact.

He is “cautiously optimistic that the worst is over.” He noticed water receding at about 7:30 a.m., roughly two hours after high tide.

Montanari remains in constant contact with the city’s response team and will continue communicating updates to his constituents. He also credited residents for their efforts.

“It’s the people on the ground who do a very good job of taking care of their property and helping their neighbors,” Montanari said. “That’s what St. Petersburg is all about.”