Manatee County working with contractors to clear canals and waterways before 2025's hurricane season
The Brief
Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton toured through Manatee County, leaving record damage.
Much of that damage remains as another hurricane season approaches Florida.
Crews say they've been working around the clock to clear canals and waterways in the county.
PARRISH, Fla. - Tropical storm Debby brought flooding that had never been seen in many parts of Manatee County. Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn't help.
Since the twin storms, crews have been working around the clock to clear county waterways.
They've finished hundreds of requests from residents, and now they're working with contractors to get to each site as a new hurricane season approaches.
Dig deeper
A once flowing waterway, Gamble Creek isn't its old self. In fact, it needs some help.
READ: China retaliates: Tariffs on American goods hiked from 84% to 125%
"It's barely passable to get down to the creek. A lot of times, people who have lived here longer say it would be nice to get the creek back to what it once was," said Brett Reeder.
Residents said the creek and nearby canals and ponds have been neglected for far too long. They say debris and overgrowth have clogged things up.
The backstory
Last June, tropical storm Debby brought flooding that had never been seen before to Reeder's property and his neighbors off Jim Davis Road in Parrish.
"Everybody's barns that were lower than the house – a lot of that was lost. Dry wall in a lot of the houses," said Reeder.
Manatee County has been working to clear 600 work orders, where canals and ponds have been blocked by debris.
CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
"We have trees that are 48 inches in diameter, sometimes smaller, but 15 inches in one canal," said Zach Custer, the Supervisor of Landscape & Stormwater for Manatee County.
What they're saying
Their job continues every day.
"We work 14 hours a day, six days a week since the hurricane. We've had one day off a week, and we are just trying to push to get all this open as best we can before the storm season," said Custer.
READ: Bradenton woman sentenced to jail, probation for hit-and-run that killed 'Peace Walker'
With 145 work orders left, Manatee County Commissioners approved $2 million for canal clearing. They're now working with contractors to speed up the process.
"We are in the air with drones, we are in the water with boats and we are on the land with machines. That trifecta alone we are accomplishing more than we ever have," said Carmine DeMilio, the Deputy Director of Property Management for Manatee County.
Big picture view
Residents have voiced their concerns to county commissioners.
"We are asking for more than this, but this is what they were able to achieve. I'll take any positive steps," said Tony Sciullo.
Residents like Sciullo hope commissioners will look closely at new developments and silt formed in Gamble Creek.
For now, he and other neighbors said it's a first step.
"Something has got to be done. The creek can't handle the current volume of water that it's getting right now. This is a great start. I'm glad they're here. They're doing something; they've heard us. We are happy something is being done," said resident Lawrence Marchione.
The Source
FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon collected the information in this story.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS LIVE:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
Download the SkyTower Radar app
Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay local governments prepare for ‘active' hurricane season
The 2025 hurricane season, forecast by experts to be 'above-normal,' began with the start of the month. And, after President Donald Trump's cuts to Federal Emergency Management Agency's staffing and financial aid, hurricane recovery may be more of a localized effort this year. Last year's back-to-back hurricanes showed Tampa Bay governments have room to improve their response to natural disasters, but these projects cost millions of dollars and take time to complete. Here are some lessons Tampa Bay's elected officials learned last year and the steps they're taking to improve the region's hurricane resiliency. Last year, areas of Hillsborough County that are not in flood zones, such as the Forest Hills neighborhood that drapes northwest Tampa and the unincorporated county line, were saturated with high water during Milton when backup generators failed to turn on stormwater pumps. In November, Hillsborough commissioners voted to hire an independent engineering firm, Black & Veatch, for $500,000 to investigate the county's stormwater infrastructure, identify deficiencies, explore policy changes and make recommendations. The first phase of the study was slated to end by the start of the hurricane season, and during the next phase, the firm will recommend projects to minimize flooding. As a part of the study, the county held community meetings and conducted an online survey this spring to hear feedback from residents about what went wrong last year. In the meantime, the public works department is trimming trees, clearing pipes and ditches and completing hundreds of drainage inspections across the sprawling county. It may be time to consider adding flood insurance to your home, regardless of where you live, said Timothy Dudley Jr., director of the Emergency Management Department. 'Water always finds a way,' he said. The city of Tampa is a part of Hillsborough County's stormwater study, and failed backup generators for stormwater pumps have been a particular point of contention for residents living outside of flood zones. Pump stations that move wastewater to the city's sewer system failed last year, which city officials said contributed to flooding in neighborhoods that didn't expect any. Some of the city's pumps haven't haven't been properly maintained, according to an audit from this year. And residents have recently complained the city isn't cleaning drainage ditches. Mayor Jane Castor announced in April that the city was spending $94 million toward pump upgrades at 28 stations and raising their electrical connections. The city is also installing more backup generators to pump stations — totaling 74 in Tampa. But there are more than 200 pumping stations in the city, and the city's wastewater department is continuing to evaluate whether generators can be added at additional sites. Another problem: gas shortages. Companies assisting with the response couldn't find enough gas, despite the majority of Central Florida's fuel coming through the Port of Tampa. Castor said that this year, every city employee has an assignment for emergency situations, and she cautioned residents they, too, have personal responsibility to stay safe. Local officials can plan for a lot of scenarios, Castor said, but as last year showed, until they experience storm situations first hand, they won't know all of the answers. Helene stayed 100 miles offshore but pushed almost 7 feet of storm surge ashore, causing unprecedented flooding in Pinellas. Many residents ignored evacuation orders. Only 1,700 residents went to shelters, said Adam Pedzich, Pinellas' response and recovery manager. Many who stayed behind had to be rescued by first responders. The county is targeting messages about that risk to those who live in condos, boats and mobile homes and focusing outreach on senior living centers. When Milton quickly followed Helene, 13,000 residents filled up shelters. In a shelter, residents can expect a small personal space and three basic meals a day. Operators aim to serve hot food but a meal could be a sandwich and a bottle of water. Pedzich recommends bringing any preferred drinks or snacks. Bedding won't be provided, so residents are encouraged to bring a cot or air mattress and, in case their home is destroyed, important documents. For those evacuating with pets, residents should bring a kennel, pet food and shot records, though the county will work with folks who don't have those items. 'We shouldn't be waiting until you're in the cone of the storm,' Pedzich said. 'Think about it now.' St. Petersburg had to shut down sewage plants last year — a first for the city — to protect expensive equipment from long-term damage and safely evacuate employees. But that precaution left thousands of residents unable to flush toilets or shower. Mayor Ken Welch said the city is accelerating $545 million of investments over the next five years in its sewage plants. And at the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility, the city raised a platform that will house generators for when the power goes out. It's now at 11 feet, two feet above federal standards, but it will soon have a 15-foot wall around it. The generators could be there by the height of hurricane season, but since much of the equipment is manufactured overseas, the city is at the mercy of the supply chain. The city hasn't raised the facility where plant employees work, though that's also in the plans. Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said the city is working this year on a way to shut the sewage plant down remotely. 'We're doing everything, I think, humanly possible, everything fiscally possible, to give us a higher level of capacity and resilience,' Welch said. 'But at some point, if a storm crosses that threshold, folks need to understand they need to evacuate.' The city of Clearwater is pursuing grants to elevate Bayshore Boulevard and engineering a design to raise a low-lying sewer pump station to avoid flood risk. The city has also increased creek and ditch clearing and is adding temporary pumps in low-lying areas on North Beach while permanent pumps are designed and installed. Mayor Bruce Rector said the city's tourism industry was able to bounce back quicker than other areas on the coast because of the rebuilding it had already done. Also helpful, he said, was moving quickly on storm debris pickup and creating pop-up permitting sites to expedite repairs for those whose homes were damaged. Rector said when city staff went door-to-door to help residents, some just wanted to grieve and talk. 'They served a role in engaging our community, going out there where the people are at,' Rector said, 'and hopefully build a relationship that will continue on for years to come, where [residents] now not only trust our local government and our staff, but they feel more engaged in our community.'
Axios
8 hours ago
- Axios
St. Pete's coffee scene gets a boost as Grove Surf reopens, new pop-up debuts
St. Pete's coffee scene is buzzing again, with new spots pouring in and old favorites returning. Here are some of the latest openings. State of sip: Grove Surf and Coffee reopens Tuesday, almost nine months after Hurricane Helene flooded its St. Pete Beach storefront and right on time to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
UPI
16 hours ago
- UPI
Here's why a hurricane has never crossed the equator
1 of 3 | The Atlantic stirs up in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Vero Beach, Fla., in October 2024. The Coriolis force is responsible for deflecting winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, and that is responsible for hurricanes or tropical storms never crossing the equator. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo Did you know that a hurricane or tropical storm has never crossed the equator? The reason behind this fascinating phenomenon lies in a meteorological principle related to the rotation of the Earth: the Coriolis force. The Coriolis force is responsible for deflecting winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. "This force is what gives tropical systems their iconic swirl -- counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere," AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva explained. At the equator, however, the Coriolis force is essentially zero, making it impossible for a tropical system to cross over from one hemisphere to another. Typhoon Vamei in 2001 was the closest storm to the equator Most tropical systems remain north of 5 degrees north latitude or south of 5 degrees south latitude. The closest a tropical storm or hurricane has ever come to crossing the equator was Typhoon Vamei in December 2001 in the western Pacific, which got within 100 miles of the equator, forming at only 1.4 degrees North latitude. An unnamed tropical depression in 1973 formed farther south The closest a tropical depression has ever formed to the equator was an unnamed storm in December 1973. This storm formed at 0.5 latitude. It later became a tropical storm around 0.7 latitude, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The official record by the U.S. National Hurricane Center disagrees, saying it did not have tropical-storm-force winds until later in its path, north of 10 degrees north latitude. This is likely due to the different ways that the two agencies measure winds in a tropical system. Another fact you may notice on the world tropical cyclone map is that there have been no tropical storms in the southeastern Pacific west of South America and few subtropical or tropical storms off the east coast of the continent. Why are there so few tropical storms in the South Atlantic? Only one hurricane has ever formed off the coast of South America: an unnamed storm locally called Catarina in 2004. According to the NHC, only two additional unnamed tropical storms have ever roamed the southern Atlantic basin, in 2010 and 2011. The other storms shown on the map above are subtropical storms, a designation for a cyclone with high winds that is not 100 tropical in nature. Average sea-surface temperatures above the threshold for tropical storm development (26 C) between 1982 and 1995. The Peru Current brings cold water up the west coast of South America while the Brazil current brings warm water southward off South America's east coast. Adapted from (AccuWeather/NOAA WPC) The lack of activity off the west coast of South America is primarily because of colder waters, DaSilva says. The Peru Current brings cold water northward along the coast. Another factor is higher wind shear, which tears apart most tropical storms before they can strengthen. "The waters off Brazil are not as cold, because the offshore currents are from the north, but the wind shear is still too strong to support many tropical storms," DaSilva explained.
