County report: regional stormwater assessment enters phase 2 after public open houses

Hillsborough County staff and consultants told the board they have substantially completed Phase 1 of a regional stormwater assessment and are advancing to Phase 2, which will include focused flood‑investigations and preliminary capital and policy recommendations.

John Digges, presenting for the consultant team, said the effort has collected municipal data, completed commissioner and city interviews, and held eight public open houses that the county described as well attended. “We had about 400 in‑person participants and 355 comments,” Digges said; roughly one‑third of comments were written while two‑thirds were submitted via the county’s public engagement hub. The hub will remain open for additional input through Friday, May 23, staff said.

The assessment will examine capacity improvements, flood‑storage and pump‑station upgrades, maintenance frequency for stormwater assets, development‑review practices, emergency preparedness, and funding mechanisms. Digges said focus‑area investigations will concentrate on neighborhoods where flooding was “unexpected” — areas outside traditional flood‑hazard maps — while the final evaluation will also address coastal high‑hazard areas and neighborhoods that were advised to evacuate during storms.

Commissioner Harry Cohen, who attended two community sessions, urged the team to ensure the final report explicitly addresses both “unexpected” inland flooding and damage in coastal high‑hazard areas so that residents in both settings receive clear mitigation recommendations. The consultant said a written evaluation summary with findings and recommended next steps will be presented to the board next month.