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Emergency management brief: 'Debbie' caused rainfall flooding, county reports 386 property assessments and 300,000 cubic yards of sand loss
Summary
County emergency management detailed response to Storm 'Debbie': 386 property assessments (21 major), 21,000 sandbags distributed, preliminary estimate of 300,000 cubic yards of sand lost on beaches, and FEMA Category A/B damage declaration for debris/protective measures (75%). Commissioners discussed sandbag distribution, sanitary‑sewer overflows, and next steps for recovery.
Emergency Management and county departments briefed commissioners on Aug. 13 about local impacts from Storm "Debbie," the county's response and next steps for recovery and mitigation.
Kathy Perkins and the emergency-management team summarized outreach (92 events to about 10,000 people), Alert Pinellas communications (40 messages), sandbag operations (county distributed 21,000 sandbags), and damage assessment (386 properties assessed: 21 major, 104 minor, 204 affected). The county has received FEMA Public Assistance for debris and emergency protective measures (Category A/B) at 75% federal cost share; individual and public assistance declarations remain under state review and the county estimated it has submitted early damage estimates (county threshold for individual/public assistance is $4,400,000; current estimate ≈ $2,200,000 and more data is being collected).
Kelly Hammer Levy (beach and public-works representative) provided a preliminary beach-profile estimate that Sankey down to Passer Road lost about 300,000 cubic yards of sand; formal survey work is ongoing. Jeremy Wall (Utilities Director) reported that treatment plants did not experience overflows at the plants, that county plants managed peak flows (peak ~77 million gallons/day versus permitted 33 million) due to prior capacity improvements, but that 12 sanitary-sewer overflow locations (manholes) were identified and are being addressed with capital projects and spot fixes.
Commissioners emphasized continued messaging on preparedness, sandbag use (year‑round prepositioning vs last‑minute operations), and the need for resident education on which flood-mitigation tools are appropriate for different risk profiles. Staff said they will continue to gather damage data, seek SBA disaster loans for businesses, and pursue additional FEMA and state assistance as appropriate.
