City crews in Tampa are intensifying efforts to prepare for hurricane season by focusing on “ditch grading,” a process that involves clearing debris and reshaping the slopes of drainage ditches. This work is intended to improve stormwater flow, helping to protect homes, roads, and public infrastructure from potential flooding.
Tampa has nearly 200 miles of drainage ditches. Since the beginning of the year, city crews have removed more than 3,400 tons of debris from these ditches. The amount of debris cleared is roughly equivalent to the weight of 2,000 average sedans. These efforts aim to ensure that the city’s drainage system functions properly and can handle increased water flow during heavy rain events.
The City Council has approved a $500,000 contract for an additional contractor to join this initiative. This move will increase manpower and allow for faster clearing of ditches across Tampa. Normally, at least three in-house ditch grading crews are deployed in the field.
“While flooding can never be fully prevented, we’re doing all we can as a city to ensure we’re in the best position should we be impacted extreme weather,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “And we cannot stress it enough — all residents and visitors should be hurricane ready, which means having a plan, having a kit, and following all emergency orders.”
For several months, Tampa has operated with an “all-hands-on-deck” approach regarding stormwater maintenance. Maintenance activities now take place six days a week with staff borrowed from other departments and support from contractors. Preparations also include readying backup generators.
Since January 1st, additional maintenance data shows that nearly 35,000 feet of ditches have been graded; 145,000 feet of stormwater pipes cleaned with 890 tons of debris removed; nearly 600 feet of stormwater pipe replaced; 13,500 curb miles swept with 3,050 tons of debris collected through street sweeping; 302 cave-ins repaired; and 1,215 structures repaired.
The City has also introduced a new Stormwater Interactive Dashboard at https://www.tampa.gov/mobility where users can view completed stormwater projects over the past six months by clicking on colored dots representing specific jobs.
