TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor gave the State of the City address Monday. “The state of our City is strong,” she said.
Mayor Castor reflected on last year’s back-to-back hurricanes while looking ahead to the upcoming hurricane season in 2025. Now, just over a month away.
She acknowledged the “quick action” of first responders and city workers during Hurricanes Helena and Milton.
“Our first responders were heroic,” she said, “during Helene, they answered nearly 200 emergency calls, rescued 52 residents and 8 pets from rising water, and put out fires during the storm. During Milton, just 13 days later, our emergency personnel handled over 15,000 calls. One of those calls at the height of the storm, our brave first responders rescued 15 people who were trapped in a home that had been crushed by a large tree.
Castor also discussed the city’s investment in numerous infrastructure upgrades, including a recreational complex and affordable housing for families.
The mayor says the city is committed to keeping rent affordable so neighbors don’t get “priced out of paradise.”
She says Tampa is also investing more in transportation like expanding the TECO Line Streetcar System that currently runs from downtown Tampa to Ybor.
"I feel so happy. After everything that’s happened, it’s a blessing"
After the Desir family lost their car due to flooding during Hurricane Milton, they received a much-needed boost: a replacement car six months later.
