Public Works says East-side flooding prompted pump requests, infrastructure buys and new stormwater master-plan actions

Pasco County public-works staff described repairs and preparation measures after widespread flooding during last season's storms, saying crews reopened roads that had been washed out and are moving to strengthen stormwater infrastructure.

"I'm proud to announce that all of the roads that were blown out are now open," Assistant Public Works Director Barrett Goe told the commission, describing major East-side pipeline failures and costly repairs that required replacing underlying storm pipes before rebuilding roadways.

Goe said crews used roughly 400,000 sandbags across the county during the response period and that the county deployed pump trucks and requested additional tanker and pump assets from the state to manage closed basins on the East Side. "We had to call upon the state to come in with these tanker trucks to help us move that water to one of these three discharge locations," Goe said.

Public Works also reported it has filled 24 positions to create a deeper operations bench, purchased materials and connex storage to speed road repairs and prepositioned equipment for the coming season. Staff said they will present an updated stormwater master plan to the commission in July and plan two public workshops in June to discuss watershed improvements and funding priorities.

Why it matters: Repaired roads, pumps and replenished materials reduce immediate life-safety risk and improve recovery speed. The stormwater master plan will direct capital investments and maintenance priorities for flood-prone watersheds.

Public Works requested continued support for pump procurement, hose and trailer purchases, and for agreements with HOAs and CDDs to address privately owned stormwater assets that contributed to localized flooding.