Independent consulting firm almost done investigating 2024 Hillsborough County flooding
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An independent consulting firm is almost done investigating why so many areas in Hillsborough County flooded during last hurricane season.
Consultants expect to provide county commissioners with a summary of their recommendations within the next month and a half.
Thomas Goethe Jr. lives in Valrico, and as he heads into the next hurricane season, he has one question for the county.
'I'd like to know what are they going to do,' Goethe Jr. said.
Sherri Allen's Forest Hills home, which is in flood zone X, flooded the morning after Hurricane Milton hit. Allen did not have flood insurance because of the flood zone.
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Independent consulting firm almost done investigating 2024 Hillsborough County flooding
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Now, Allen is preparing for yet another hurricane season, this time with fear, uncertainty, and $50,000 in debt.
'I'm scared because I don't know that it's not going to happen again,' Allen said.
8 On Your Side brought her concerns directly to the county.
News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers asked Hillsborough County Flood Protection Engineering Manager Mikhal Moberg, 'What would your message be to residents who feel that we're 7 months after the storms and they don't have answers or really any tangible next steps?'
'We understand that there was a significant flooding that many people witnessed and they had to endure unjust hardships, but the reality is, this was a historical event,' said Moberg. 'We are doing the best we can, given the resources that we can.'
Last year, Hillsborough County hired an independent consulting firm, Black & Veatch Corporation, to figure out why so many people flooded during last hurricane season.
It's now up to them to get answers.
'How much rain fell, how high the rivers, ponds, and lakes came up, where it flooded, how deep it flooded,d and for how long,' Regional Water Resources Lead Jon Dinges said, listing off the areas he's looking into.
'What sort of timeline are we looking at for when the investigation will be complete?' News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers asked.
'We started in December, the first couple of months, there was a lot of collecting data, and we're getting close to finishing our first high-level assessment, so in the month of June, we're planning to make recommendations to the county commission,' Dinges said.
Dinges plans to update county commissioners on where the investigation stands Wednesday.
He anticipates having a summary of his findings and recommendations ready for commissioners in mid-to-late June, and the full analysis completed by July or August.
From there, it will be up to county commissioners to decide how much they want to spend.
Residents can give their input by clicking here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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