ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg has been awarded a $2.2 million federal grant for stormwater flood mitigation projects, which are expected to reduce flooding on sections of two major roadways in the city.
“While these projects are just a small part of the city’s overall resiliency efforts, the relief will have a strong impact on residents and others who travel along those roads,” said Mayor Kenneth Welch. “With climate change impacts increasing and becoming more frequent, it’s critical that we have the resources necessary to combat those impacts.”
One of those projects will upsize the storm drains on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South, near Lake Maggiore just south of Salt Creek, which was closed for days following Hurricane Helene in 2024 due to flooding. Dr. Lloyd Wright lives in the area and said he has seen fish swimming in his front yard during big rain events and high tides. Wright is thankful some action will be taken to mitigate the flooding.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing,” he said. “The flooding have [sic] been very terrible.”
The other project will upsize storm drains and add more inlets on 4th Street North at 88th Avenue in the Riviera Bay neighborhood which also flooded during Helene. Recurring street flooding also happens during intense rain and a tidally influenced stormwater outfall. Riviera Bay Civic Association President Vanessa Pugliese said residents welcome any help they can get for the flooding problem in their neighborhood.
“I think it’s great,” she said. “Anytime that the city wants to invest in infrastructure, we are 100 percent on board with them doing that.”
Congresswoman Kathy Castor submitted a request for the federal funds which was awarded through FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant program.
“I’m very proud to answer the call. You all asked, you said, ‘Can you find some federal resources to help shore up our local infrastructure when it comes to flooding?’” she said. “Fortunately, the Congress finally acted in passing its appropriations bills, and we were able to deliver a couple million dollars here to help expedite a number of these projects.”
Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said it will take a couple of years to design and permit the projects. The total cost for each project is about $10 million, according to Tankersley.