Flooding in St. Pete's Shore Acres neighborhood from Hurricane Helene's unprecedented storm surge in 2024 | Tony salazar

It’s almost that time of year again to prepare for hurricane season, which runs from June 1st through November 30th.

The City of St. Petersburg, in partnership with Pinellas County, is taking precautionary measures ahead of the looming season by strengthening the region’s infrastructure.

The actions follow the release of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2025 Hurricane Outlook, which forecasts above-normal hurricane and tropical storm activity this season. The outlook predicts 13 to 19 named storms that could become hurricanes. Peak storm activity typically occurs between mid-August and mid-October, when tropical or subtropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic Ocean.

“The City of St. Petersburg is diligently preparing for the upcoming hurricane season by prioritizing resiliency, accelerating our infrastructure projects, and implementing lessons learned from last year's hurricane season," Mayor Ken Welch said at an earlier press conference. "While the City continues to make its preparations, we can't do it alone. Please start making your storm plans now, don't wait until it's too late. It's not a matter of if we get hit, it's a matter of when."

In response to the back-to-back storms of 2024, the City has expedited several water reclamation facility projects to improve disaster resilience. These accelerated initiatives include:

Flood proofing: Enhancing flood resilience at sewer treatment plants by installing deployable flood barriers and applying a durable waterproof coating to exterior walls. These upgrades help reduce risk during flood events.

AquaFence installation: Installing an AquaFence at Lift Station 85 near Albert Whitted Airport to provide deployable and reliable flood protection. The AquaFence is engineered to withstand up to 15 feet of storm surge.
Northeast Water Reclamation Facility improvement project: Completing Northeast electrical improvements one year ahead of schedule to enhance reliability and support critical infrastructure.

The full list of facility improvements can be found online. The current plan anticipates at least $545 million in additional investments over the next five years. Over the past nine years, the City has invested nearly $1 billion in resiliency projects.

In addition, the City is cross-training staff, pre-staging critical resources, and preparing recovery centers across St. Petersburg. These preparations include:

The Resilient St. Pete Task Force: The City is working with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council to establish a task force that will address flooding issues in vulnerable communities using feedback from affected residents. The group will meet with residents and help develop engineering solutions to reduce flood risk.
High-water rescue vehicles: The St. Petersburg City Council recently approved $300,000 to purchase three additional high-water vehicles for St. Pete Fire Rescue. This expanded fleet will help first responders, who rescued 430 people during Hurricane Helene.
Pumps: Two six-inch Godwin pumps and trailers will be installed at lift stations to provide backup pumping capacity during severe wet weather. These pumps will help alleviate high flows and prevent sanitary sewer overflows.

More information on the City’s hurricane preparedness efforts can be found online.

A high-water vehicle | st. pete fire rescue

The city will also host a Hurricane Preparedness Day on May 31st to help equip residents with the latest tools and resources for the upcoming hurricane season.

This free event will include information on evacuation plans, storm safety, and emergency preparedness. Attendees will receive the 2025 Hurricane Guide, free hurricane kit supplies, evacuation zone lookup services, and assistance with registering for the special needs evacuation program.

Live demonstrations will show how to properly use sandbags and provide information about emergency shelters. A kids' education zone will also be available.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 31st. The event will be held at the Willis S. Johns Recreation Center, located at 6625 Dr. MLK Jr. Street North, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If you are unable to attend, here are some helpful tools and reminders for protecting yourself and your property during and after a storm:

Evacuation zones: Much of St. Pete lies in evacuation zones. A home may not be in an evacuation zone but could still be in a flood zone due to nearby bodies of water. Residents can find their evacuation zone online or by calling 727-453-3150. A list of local shelters is also available online.
Evacuations: Recommended evacuations are issued when there is a lower potential for storm surge. In these cases, residents in mobile homes or historically flood-prone areas are advised to move to higher ground or sturdier structures. Mandatory evacuations are ordered when there is a high likelihood of storm surge and serious risk to life. These evacuations may apply to specific lettered zones and always include mobile homes.
Supplies: Gather enough supplies to sustain your household for at least three days. This includes essential medications.
Sandbags: St. Pete residents may pick up a maximum of 10 sandbags per household. Sandbags are available at various self-service and full-service locations, including parks and the Pavement and Traffic Operations Building.
Pets: Pet owners are encouraged to use free services such as exams, rabies shots, and microchipping, which are available with the purchase of a county pet license. Owners must remain with their pets in designated pet-friendly shelters.
Outages: To report outages or downed power lines, contact Duke Energy online or call 800-228-8485. If traffic signals are not working, treat the intersection as a four-way stop.

Before, during, and after hurricanes, the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County will provide continuous updates on social media about safety measures and available resources.

For more information, visit St. Pete’s online Hurricane Center page.

Residents can also sign up for Alert Pinellas to receive notifications about evacuations, weather updates, and other emergency alerts.