Hillsborough County officials are organizing eight community meetings in April and May as part of a regional stormwater evaluation.

These meetings come in response to the historic flooding caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year.

“A third of the entire Tampa Bay’s volume was dropped on the region during Hurricane Milton, leading to widespread devastation and flooding across the county,” Josh Bellotti, Engineering and Operations Director for Hillsborough County Public Works, told Bay News 9.

Bellotti noted that the county is actively clearing ditches and storm drains of debris ahead of hurricane season, which begins June 1. Officials are also seeking input from residents in neighborhoods that experienced severe flooding—ranging from inches to several feet—during the storms.

“The county is conducting a regional stormwater evaluation with the help of an independent consultant,” Bellotti said. “This study will include community outreach, with eight meetings scheduled across the county in April and May.”

One of these meetings will take place in Town ’N Country, where several neighborhoods endured storm surges of two feet or more.

Bay Crest Park resident Samantha Freeland recalled the overwhelming aftermath of the storms.

“When this happens to you, you’re just completely overwhelmed,” she told Bay News 9. “And when it happens back to back, you don’t even know where to begin. It feels like a nervous breakdown—it’s just so much.”

For residents still recovering from last year’s hurricanes, the county has an online resource page available: Hillsborough County Storm Recovery Resources.

The county will announce specific dates, times, and locations for the community meetings soon.

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