HILLSBOROUGH CO., Fla. — In Hillsborough County, leaders are working to update their post-disaster redevelopment plan. On Wednesday, residents will have the chance to share their voices and stories with county officials.
This comes as we prepare for the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on Oct. 9, 2024. Throughout this past year, Tampa Bay 28 has been with you through recovery and now your stories can help the county prepare for future disasters.
We spoke to C.K. Moore from the Office of Emergency Management. He said the goal is to create a plan to rebuild infrastructure, businesses, and neighborhoods after a disaster. Moore explained the post-disaster redevelopment plan will also include ways to reduce risks and make the neighborhoods more resilient.
WATCH: Hillsborough leaders seek input to update the post-disaster redevelopment plan
"The plan itself is more of a guide to allow us to meet these different challenges when they come, so we’re not trying to scramble, we have a plan,” Moore said.
We know for many of you, recovery is not yet over. In neighborhoods across Hillsborough County, frustrations remain. In Town N’ Country, neighbors told Tampa Bay 28 they want officials to focus on clearing out the drains to prevent future flooding.
In the Palmetto Beach neighborhood in Tampa, neighbors said they felt forgotten in the early days after the storm and they don’t want that to happen again.
Across the county, many of you tell us you are still grieving what was lost.
Janes Uhls home flooded last fall. “It was sad to lose your livelihood. You just work so hard for something and then it’s just taken away," said Uhls.
These stories can now help shape the future and help county leaders create a post-disaster redevelopment plan.
There is a community workshop happening on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Miller Park and Life Center, 6105 E. Sligh Ave., Tampa.
If you can not make it in person, click here for the virtual option.
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