St. Petersburg has received $1 million in state funding to mitigate frequent flooding in the city’s lowest-lying neighborhood, thanks to advocacy from local lawmakers.
City Council members unanimously approved a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) at their Dec. 11 meeting. The funding will support the extensive Shore Acres Flood Mitigation Project.
Officials have already received $7.87 million from the FDEP for the estimated $30.87 million initiative. The overarching goal is to improve stormwater conveyance in the flood-prone, coastal community.
“With climate change impacts becoming more frequent and severe, it’s vital that we invest in disaster mitigation projects across our community,” said Mayor Ken Welch in a prepared statement.
“The Shore Acres Flood Mitigation project will provide flooding relief to residents and ensure essential stormwater operations can continue during power outages.”
City council members accepted the grant without discussion. The project includes the installation of new stormwater infrastructure, including box culverts, a stormwater pump station and backflow (tidal surge) preventers.
Officials will elevate sections of area roadways. They have also acquired a parcel of land to house an emergency power facility with a generator-supported pump.
Councilmember Mike Harting, who represents the neighborhood, noted that the work will occur around Connecticut Avenue. He called the project a “game-changing solution to help alleviate flooding in that area of Shore Acres.”
The city will use the $1 million to purchase the generator and startup components necessary to build a pump station on the recently acquired parcel. Welch credited his administration and staff, Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Rep. Lindsay Cross for “their assistance securing this funding and for their ongoing work in making our community more resilient against future disasters.”
“Shore Acres is among the most flood-prone neighborhoods in Pinellas County, where frequent tidal impacts and intense rain events have taken a serious toll on residents,” DiCeglie said. “I was proud to sponsor this appropriations request to support the City of St. Petersburg’s efforts to engineer and construct new stormwater infrastructure that will reduce roadway and home flooding, strengthen neighborhood resiliency and enhance public safety for families who call Shore Acres home.”
Cross echoed that sentiment and said the grant “marks a step forward in proactive flood protection” that will aid the city’s efforts to “fortify neighborhoods against damaging storms.” Torrential downpours and Hurricanes Helene and Milton throughout the summer and fall of 2024 highlighted the neighborhood’s vulnerability to increasing environmental threats.
Officials received the initial $7.87 million grant in 2023. Documents do not state how they plan to pay for the remaining $22 million in project costs.
In July, Pinellas County and its municipalities received $233 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding to lessen the impacts of future storms. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money is available following a presidentially declared natural disaster.
States then distribute the money to counties, which disburse it to sub-applicant municipalities. Local governments can apply on behalf of businesses and residents.
The city subsequently sent a list of HMGP projects totaling $100.5 million. Officials requested $26 million for the Shore Acres project.
Many residents in Shore Acres still struggle to rebuild and elevate their homes. Separate federal funding could soon help them address immediate needs.
Applications for the $159.8 million Sunrise St. Pete initiative opened Monday. Officials expect to help 98 households rebuild storm-damaged homes, assist 288 with eligible repairs and provide disaster relief reimbursements to an additional 784 residents.
Homeowners can receive $375,000 for reconstruction, including elevation, $100,000 for rehabilitation and $50,000 for previously completed storm repairs. The city will offer $15,000 for up to six consecutive months of rent, mortgage or utility payments to all eligible applicants.
Sunrise St. Pete prioritizes tenants for relief reimbursements and the lowest-earning households, particularly those with age-dependent or disabled members, for rehabilitation and reconstruction funding. City council members approved the initial $61 million residential recovery program in early October.
Welch, in a Dec. 8 announcement, encouraged all residents who are still recovering from Hurricanes Idalia and Helene to apply for the assistance through an online platform or by visiting one of the city’s service centers.
“This funding is designed to address remaining needs after all other assistance has been exhausted, so please apply if you think you may be eligible,” Welch said. “The city is here to support our residents and our community through this long-term recovery process.”
