St.Petersburg city leaders and engineers unveiled findings from teh first phase of the Resilient St. Pete Action Plan this week, detailing neighborhood-specific flood risks and potential solutions gathered directly from residents. The initiative aims to create tailored strategies to protect the city from increasing storm impacts.
The comprehensive plan, spearheaded by Jacobs Engineering, moves beyond a ”one-size-fits-all” approach to resilience, recognizing that each St. Petersburg neighborhood experiences flooding differently. A key component of phase one was a detailed interactive map documenting resident observations and recommendations for each area. This information will directly inform the city’s stormwater master plan, the St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan, and an ongoing seawall study.”We know the same solution is not suited or appropriate for every neighborhood and every situation,” explained Jason Bird, Resilience leader at Jacobs Engineering. “We wanted to make sure solutions are tailored to each neighborhood and address specific types of flooding they’re encountering.”
Mayor Ken Welch emphasized the importance of proactive preparation, stating, “The storms taught us how to prepare and how to respond and how to protect our community going forward.” The city is using the data collected to guide future initiatives and bolster overall community protection.