HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Neighbors in one South Tampa neighborhood are reeling after Hurricane Milton left them with feet of water in their homes.
They are now picking up the pieces with power poles and downed trees blocking parts of the street.
Milton brought feet of rainwater into the homes surrounding Azeele and South Arrawana Avenue, and neighbors think the flooding could have been prevented.
Chanelle Adameck has lived in the area for nine years.
"So a bunch of our neighbors called the city, you know, asked if someone could take a look at the storm drains because we were worried about a hurricane," Adameck said.
She said a storm like Milton was exactly what she was worried about. Neighbors said they think the flooding could have been prevented.
I took the issue to the city, and officials told me that Tampa saw unprecedented rainfall this summer, followed by two major hurricanes.
They said stormwater systems are not designed to handle that much rainfall. However, they are making major investments to upgrade the stormwater systems.
Aside from flooding, neighbors are worried about downed trees and power lines. Power lines are TECO's responsibility, and the city said they are working around the clock to clean up.
If you have safety concerns about a downed tree, you can report it to the city by calling 813-274-5744 or click here to report it online.
With thousands still without power in South Florida, TECO is continuing to work day and night on getting the lights back on. "We know how frustrating it is, how inconvenient it is not to have power, and so the team is really committed to the cause," says CEO Archie Collins.
