As Florida observes Hurricane Preparedness Week, many Tampa residents—especially those in the hard-hit Westshore neighborhood—say they’re still struggling to recover from last year’s storms and feel unprepared for the hurricane season ahead.

With the 2025 tropical storm season just three weeks away, anxiety is mounting. In Westshore, where Hurricanes Helene and Milton left a trail of destruction, recovery remains slow and incomplete.

Elizabeth and William McCoy, longtime residents of the area, say their home is still undergoing repairs, leaving them little time or resources to get ready for another possible disaster.

“We’re not prepared,” Elizabeth said. “Our house—we are still repairing it from last year.”

A major concern for the McCoys and their neighbors is the debris-choked canal behind their home. Once a vital drainage route during storms, it’s now clogged with sediment and storm debris. Residents worry it no longer has the capacity to handle another deluge.

“This is a big issue,” said William McCoy. “Most of the older canal walls gave way during Hurricane Milton. A lot of that land ended up in the canal, reducing its ability to handle floodwaters. If the city could clean it out, dredge it, it might help prevent the kind of catastrophic flooding we saw last year.”

City officials have hosted town halls to brief residents on hurricane preparations and say they are working to clear certain waterways. But it’s unclear whether the Westshore canal is part of those plans.

“We are doing everything we can to prepare for the upcoming storm season,” said Vik Bhide, the City of Tampa’s mobility director. “The community is rightfully concerned after last year’s unprecedented storm activity.”

With the official start of hurricane season on June 1, residents are pressing the city for swift action to help protect their neighborhood from further devastation.

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