With Hurricane Dorian looming over Florida, emergency management officials are gearing up.
Their biggest concern in the Tampa Bay region right now is rain.
According to the National Weather Service, Tampa and St. Petersburg have both seen more than 10 inches of rainfall so far this month, more than three inches above average for August.
Pasco has seen about 15 inches of rain already, and at least 10 more is expected from Hurricane Dorian.
RELATED: Hurricane Dorian Could Become A Category 4 Storm Before Florida Landfall
Andrew Fossa, the emergency management director for Pasco County, said additional flooding in some areas is guaranteed.
"We still have areas that are flooded and still underwater. Our public work and our stormwater department are actively pumping water off the lakes and rivers, trying to get this water moved. However, with the ground being so saturated, even where we're pumping is coming to capacity now.
It's going to lead to severe flooding. And we're trying to be proactive, but I think in the long run, we're going to end up being reactive because areas are going to start flooding that we weren't anticipating on flooding.”
RELATED: Tampa Bay Area Preparing For More Hurricane Evacuees
Fossa encourages Floridians to check their county websites for information about sandbags and emergency evacuation shelters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGzR2K5QdQQ
Pasco EOC demonstrates how to properly fill and use a sandbag.
Click here for WUSF’s continuing coverage of Dorian.
