City of St. Petersburg coastal flooding update (Sun., Dec. 17)
December 17, 2023 – The City of St. Peterburg’s low lying areas experienced approximately 2-3 feet of storm surge overnight and into Sunday morning, December 17. Neighborhoods impacted were Shore Acres, Snell Isle and Riviera Bay.
In preparation for this storm, the City extended sandbag operations into the weekend (Saturday) to help residents prepare. Priority access to sandbags was given to those that lived in Shore Acres, Riviera Bay and Coquina Key. 350+ sandbags were distributed between 12-6 p.m.
Sunday, December 17 Recap:
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The City team did a preliminary assessment of storm and flood damage and found Shore Acres and Riviera Bay were most impacted.
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The City team and St. Pete Fire Rescue worked with Duke Energy to identify downed power lines and to de-energize Shore Acres for safety of residents.
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Pumps were deployed to Shore Acres to speed up the drawdown of water.
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City teams began inspecting impacted neighborhoods to document damage from the storm. We encourage homeowners to send photos of any damage to their homes to floodplain@stpete.org. Please include your address, and provide a measurement above floor level if possible.
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The St. Pete Police Department is back to normal operations now and will spot check this evening for the next high tide. All neighborhoods are now open to regular traffic.
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Duke Energy is working to restore power. Less than 30 households remain without power. All power should be restored by this evening.
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City building inspectors will begin damage assessments Monday, Dec. 18 with a plan to be completed early afternoon.
What to do if you’ve been impacted:
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Document damage: City teams began inspecting impacted neighborhoods to document damage from the storm and are encouraging homeowners to send photos of any damage to their homes to floodplain@stpete.org. Please include address and provide a measurement above floor level if possible.
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Clean up assistance & Debris Removal: If vegetative debris can fit in your trash can, please place there first. Note, please DO NOT place debris in trash bags. Additional clean up assistance is being evaluated and will be shared as more damage is reported.
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Practice electrical safety: Do not touch wet electrical equipment and seek professional assistance. Specific information can be found at www.stpete.org/flooding
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Debris Pick Up: If vegetative debris can fit in your trash can, please place there first. If not, please place debris on the curb and request a special pick up at 727-893-7398. Note, please DO NOT place debris is trash bags. To drop debris off at a city brush site, visit www.stpete.org/brushsites for more info.
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Reporting: Please call 911 to report any hazards or downed powerlines. They will be logged by emergency personnel and notification will be made to Duke Energy.
For flood information, please visit www.stpete.org/flooding and follow @StPeteFL social media channels for most up to date information.