TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As another tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico continues to strengthen, Tampa Bay may see another round of heavy rainfall in the next few days.
The city of Tampa and city workers are preparing for more severe weather beginning this Sunday.
Mayor Jane Castor paid a visit to the crew members on Saturday morning and spoke alongside sewer operations planner, Daniel Ficetola, saying they are ensuring that storm drains are clean ahead of heavy rainfall.
Since the grounds are still saturated from Hurricane Helene last week, officials warn residents of additional flooding.
“Often times you hear heroes wear capes,” Mayor Castor said. “Well, I’ve got heroes behind me.”
Ficetola said the street sweeping makes it easier for stormwater to flow in the drain systems, and it is critical as Tampa looks ahead to roughly six inches of additional rainfall from this potential storm, on already saturated grounds.
“More people should be mindful of the impacts it will cause,” Ficetola added.
Tampa is also offering free Uber vouchers, up to $25 off, for two round-trip rides to comfort stations for residents to access essential services such as laundry, showers, charging stations, food, water, and permitting assistance for repairs. The Tampa Emergency Transportation Service is available until Oct. 25.
As of Saturday, there are three comfort stations in Tampa.
- Gandy Civic Association – 4207 West Oklahoma Avenue (Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm)
- Marjorie Park Marina – 97 Columbia Drive (Mon-Sun, 7am-7pm)
- DeSoto Park – 2617 Corrine Street (Mon-Sun, 7am-7pm)
“We know that many in our community are facing overwhelming hardships right now, and we are here to help in any way we can,” Mayor Castor said. “By providing transportation to our Comfort Stations, we hope to give families a small sense of relief as they focus on recovering from Hurricane Helene.”
Text “TampaReady” to 888-777 for alerts and updates during the weekend downpours.
Sandbag sites opened Friday across several Tampa Bay counties ahead of the downpours to help protect against additional flooding in homes. For a list of locations in Hillsborough, Sarasota, and Manatee counties, click here.
