An independent assessment from Black & Veatch and a county staff briefing on July 23 laid out a series of findings and follow-up steps after Hillsborough County’s record inland flooding last year.

Black & Veatch lead John Dinges told the Board of County Commissioners the firm reviewed models, assets and public feedback gathered through interviews and eight public open-house meetings attended by more than 450 residents. “Our evaluation resulted in key findings with actionable recommendations,” Dinges said, summarizing a draft report the county has received.

The firm identified program strengths — flood modeling and mapping, regulation and a capital improvements program — but also flagged several opportunities: asset management (notably ditches and aging pump stations), interagency coordination across municipalities and agencies, public awareness and funding shortfalls. Black & Veatch estimated a multi-year work plan of roughly $300,000,000 of needed stormwater projects with a funding gap and suggested that fully implementing the capital plan could yield an estimated $120,000,000 in avoided flood damages.

Dinges explained that the October rainfall last year equaled several times the normal monthly totals and noted that in parts of the county many areas received a large portion of annual rainfall in a short period: “Most of that occurred in two days,” he said, adding the county’s soils and surface-water storage were already full. The consultants recommended continuing model updates and using the county’s higher-resolution watershed models alongside FEMA flood-insurance maps to give the public clearer risk information.

County staff described immediate and planned work. Kim Beyer, assistant county administrator, and Josh Velotti said crews have jet-backed 81 miles of buried pipe, cleared 165 miles of open roadside ditches, removed more than 4,000 drainage inlets and inspected major conveyance systems. Staff said they inspected and repaired pump stations, rebuilt pumps and control panels, hired an industrial electrician dedicated to pump operations, and maintain trailer-mounted pumps for temporary deployments.

Velotti and Beyer described system scale: the county’s stormwater network includes about 1,300 miles of underground pipe, roughly 1,300 miles of open ditches, more than 41,000 drainage structures, over 2,000 stormwater ponds and 40 pump stations. The county reported installing 94 remote-monitoring water-level gauges to date and expects to add about eight per month to approach a goal of 180 gauges by the end of next year.

To address funding and long-term capacity, staff listed near-term and medium-term actions: complete a stormwater rate study with options for the non-ad valorem assessment, continue a pilot real-time flood-forecasting project, prioritize high-risk conveyances for maintenance and capital work, pursue federal and state grant funding, and use CIT renewal dollars for large regional drainage projects. The administration’s recommended FY26 budget includes an additional $10,000,000 in CIT/general-fund dollars for stormwater programs, staff said.

Commissioners pressed for more interagency coordination and clearer public materials. Commissioner Cohen noted the public’s confusion about which entity maintains particular ditches; staff and consultants said some ditches are county-owned and well maintained but that many drainage channels traverse private property or belong to other agencies, which complicates responsibility. Black & Veatch recommended a focused effort to prioritize maintenance and funding where risk reduction per dollar is highest.

Commissioner Miller raised a prior board directive (Oct. 23, 2024) to work with the Southwest Florida Water Management District and other partners on a task force for Pemberton Creek, Baker Creek and other named waterways; staff said that coordination remains a continuing priority and that specific plans and capital projects will be brought back to the board for action.

No formal votes were recorded on the study itself during the workshop. Staff said they will return with the completed rate-study options, proposed capital projects for board consideration and a plan for improved public communication and interagency coordination.