After Milton, Zephyrhills reviews storm response: food, generators, WebEOC and lift‑station fixes among lessons
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Summary
City managers and department heads briefed council on Hurricane Milton lessons: improve staff feeding and communication plans, use the county WebEOC request system, order portable traffic control supplies, and pursue generators and lift‑station upgrades including a project at Lift Station 28.
Zephyrhills staff used a council workshop on April 28 to review operational lessons from Hurricane Milton and to identify specific readiness steps ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.
City managers said departments must improve pre‑storm logistics — specifically backup food and water for personnel, clear meal schedules during extended emergency duty and pre‑identified vendor agreements to speed resupply when stores lose power. Staff recommended formalizing an emergency‑pay policy to ensure overtime beyond 40 hours is eligible for FEMA reimbursement; department heads were set to review a drafted policy.
Staff and council also highlighted communication and coordination gaps. During Milton the county’s WebEOC resource‑request system proved effective when used; staff said Zephyrhills will increase use of WebEOC to request pumps, hoses and fuel and to log requests that Pasco County can fulfill quickly. The city also plans more portable signage, cones and barriers to manage major traffic intersections when signals are dark.
Public‑works priorities include Zephyr Creek Canal maintenance and localized swale construction, with county contractors already clearing parts of the canal and a city plan to use inmate crews for specific reaches. Staff said they have asked Pasco County to consider Community Development Block Grant funding for Zephyr Creek and for Silver Oaks basin improvements. The city also budgeted a pump for Ninth Avenue pond work and ordered a generator for a problematic lift station that caused cascading sanitary‑sewer shutoffs during Milton; the lift‑station project (raising generator and control panels) is scheduled to begin RCM work in May with completion expected by July–August.
Council and staff discussed community support measures for employees impacted by storms and suggested pre‑identifying trusted former employees or contractors who could be called to assist during recovery. Staff said they would return with updates on generator purchases, WebEOC training, a formal emergency‑pay policy and any grant outcomes.