Expecting heavy rains if Frances goes by, officials focus on lessening flooding problems by clearing the paths of runoff.
By JANET ZINK and GRAHAM BRINK
Published September 4, 2004
TAMPA - With the impact of Hurricane Frances on Tampa uncertain, Debbie Sledge took no chances Friday.
"We're just trying to get things up, especially in our garage," said Sledge, who lives on Coachman Avenue in South Tampa. "The rain is what we're worried about."
Ten days ago, a freak storm poured 4 inches of rain on the region in just hours. The resulting floods raised raw sewage on Coachman that crept up to Sledge's doorstep. The smell lingered for a week.
"We've been rethinking where are we going to go if it looks bad," she said.
Throughout the county, residents and government officials prepared for possible rains ushered in by Frances that could cause water to fill neighborhood streets. But with the storm wobbling toward the east coast of Florida, the mood in Tampa was not one of panic.
Jack Morriss, director of Tampa's public works department, predicted this weekend wouldn't cause as much of a problem as the Aug. 25 storm. "All that rain fell in just a few hours," Morriss said. "This rain is supposed to fall over 24 to 36 hours."
That should give the ground time to soak up the water, he said.
"It shouldn't be twice as bad or even as bad as what occurred a couple weeks ago," Morriss said.
Nonetheless, city officials took precautions Friday.
Workers cleaned out drainage holes in the seawall on Bayshore Boulevard where a portion of the sidewalk collapsed during the Aug. 25 drenching. The collapse occurred, Morriss said, because groundwater built up against the wall and pushed it out, washing the soil that was underneath the sidewalk into Hillsborough Bay. Cleaning out the holes, Morriss said, would allow groundwater to seep into the bay.
Also Friday, city workers continued cleaning out debris from stormwater inlets and ditches so excess water could easily flow into them. That task has been going on for several weeks.
"We're not able to keep up with a summer like this," said city stormwater director Mike Salmon.
Mike Bennett, director of Tampa's water department, said the Hillsborough River should not cause a problem for homes in the area, even if Frances brings 10 to 20 inches of rain. The reservoir behind the dam at Rowlett Park is being lowered a few feet to accommodate rain and runoff, he said.
One scenario that could flood houses along the river would occur if a storm surge pushed seawater up the river. Frances, though, is not expected to bring any storm surge to the Tampa Bay area. If enough rain falls, the city can release about twice as much water as usual through the dam without flooding any downstream homes, Bennett said. In that case, the water would be on some people's lawns but would not do significant damage to homes, he said.
Huge amounts of water can also be sent down a bypass canal that runs into McKay Bay. Gene Farley, structure control supervisor for Southwest Florida Water Management District, said even 15 to 20 inches of rain would not be a problem for the canal.
The canal can handle about 26,000 cubic feet of water per second. Farley said the largest volume of water he had seen in it was during the El Nino weather pattern a few years ago, when it reached about 16,000 cubic feet per second.
"Even a hurricane isn't likely to bring enough water to create any major problems on that river," Farley said. "Some land might get flooded, but homes should be fine."
If enough rain falls, storm drains will back up and small creeks will overflow, he said. At that point, the water cannot follow its normal paths to rivers or lakes. It begins pooling in areas where it wouldn't normally settle. The resulting "sheet flow" can cause problems in the areas that receive the most rain.
"That is not a river issue," Farley said. "It's just what happens when the storm drains get backed up."
INTERNET, TELEPHONE
Emergency information is available at the city of Tampa Web site at www.tampagov.net To report fallen trees or debris on public roadways call 813 622-1940.
