Deluge a drain on county stormwater system, residents told

CITRUS PARK -- Heavy rain on Sept. 5 that caused roads to flood in Westchase, Country Run and Twin Branch Acres was too much for the county's stormwater system to handle, residents were told this week.

Representatives from Hillsborough County Public Works were invited to a monthly meeting of the Upper Tampa Bay Alliance to address concerns the residents had about future flooding possibilities in their communities.

Up to 61/2 inches of rain fell that day within six hours. Because the ground was already saturated from previous rain, that day's rainfall was so pronounced, residents said they could not even drive the neighborhood streets.

Frank Deese, a stormwater engineer in the department, said the drain system in those communities is not built to handle that volume of rain because that type of rain is not likely to occur often.

However, he said county workers have removed some blockage in the drain system to better handle stormwater.

Homes in the affected communities are built on higher ground than the roads. There were no reported house floodings during that rainstorm, Deese said.

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