Flood mitigation work begins to help with Shore Acres flooding

Jeff Patterson
·2 min read

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The City of St. Petersburg is spending millions of dollars to help with flooding problems in the Shore Acres neighborhood.

On Wednesday, work began on a project to replace aging backflow preventors in the stormwater sewer system.

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“So, we’ve had backflow preventers in Shore Acres and other parts of the city for about 30 years and over time we’ll come in and replace the old models with new models,” St. Petersburg Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said.

He said the city will spend $3.75 million to replace 56 backflow preventors in the area.

“The purpose of a backflow preventer is to prevent the water from the canal, or the bay from backing up into the street during a high tide event or a storm surge, which means the backflow preventer has to be watertight,” said Tankersley.

Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf said the improvements will help with some, but not all of the flooding problems in the neighborhood.

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“In Shore Acres, there are two types of flooding, which backflow preventers hopefully stop and there is the storm surge flooding which is mother nature and we can’t really stop a six-foot storm surge from coming over a sea wall,” said Batdorf.

Carole King has lived in her Shore Acres home for six years and said it’s flooded three times during that period.

“Before I moved here it had another series of floods and about five or six floods prior to that,” said King.

She’s concerned the project to replace the backflow preventors will not help her home.

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“I checked the streets that they are actually going to start on and finish and this particular intersection is not actually involved in getting the backflow preventers at this time, nor in the future,” said King.

Kevin Batdorf said the project started today is a step to help the area.

“For the sunny day flooding, which has been occurring more and more where people drive through saltwater two, three times a month, this is hopefully going to stop that.”

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