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'People are on edge:' Shore Acre residents speak out on flooding issues in St. Pete neighborhood

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Published  August 20, 2024 6:29am EDT
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News

Shore Acres residents speak out on flooding

Residents and first responders attended a meeting on Monday to speak out on problems and solutions to the Shore Acres flooding situation with storms.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One Pinellas County neighborhood faced more flooding during Tropical Storm Debby, and now, residents are speaking out on potential solutions.

From Hurricane Idalia to a no-name storm in December, Shore Acres in Pinellas County has been inundated with water.

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On Monday night, the Shore Acres Civic Association held its regular hurricane preparedness meeting with St. Pete leaders and first responders.

Monday's meeting

Neighbors say some of the issues related to flooding can be widely prevented.

"After the last two years, our neighbors are on edge," Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf said. "If a storm is just out there, it’s going to start raining, people are on edge."

After Tropical Storm Debby brought unexpected flooding across Tampa Bay, neighbors say it’s even more important that the neighborhood be prepared for the peak of hurricane season.

Batdorf says one of the big problems they deal with during and after a storm is traffic driving along the flooded roadways in the neighborhood.

Flooding in Shore Acres

"A lot of people don’t know how to navigate through the streets, driving through the streets," he said. "They cause what we call a wake, that pushes water into homes that wouldn’t otherwise flood."

He says they see a lot of people taking ‘joyrides,’ checking out damage or delivery drivers trying to make deliveries.

"It’s unfortunate that a home that wouldn’t otherwise flood gets flooded by a car pushing water into their home," Batdorf said.

This can also be a problem for first responders.

Flooding in Shore Acres

"There’s high water, and they don’t know how high it is; their vehicles could actually stall in the intersections, which could prevent emergency vehicles from going rescuing people who need it the most," Sgt. Jason Deary, with the St. Pete Police Department said.

During Monday’s meeting, first responders discussed ways that neighbors should prepare before, during and after a storm.

Police say roads can be closed when flooding or road conditions reach a certain point.

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"If your vehicles are unable to pass and it’s emergency equipment only or highwater rescue vehicles only, we ask you to wait to order food deliveries, because sometimes they don’t know that they can’t pass, and now their vehicles are stalled," Deary said.

They also looked at possible solutions related to road closures and flooding preparations to help the neighborhood be better prepared for the next storm.

"That really is what’s going to heal us, is time and some efforts," Batdorf said.

Police say if a certain incident with traffic through floodwaters becomes a big enough problem, a driver could be cited.