Hillsborough County is about to throw serious money at a familiar headache: flooding. County commissioners voted on April 15 to sign off on $95 million for 10 new stormwater and drainage projects, all under the county's Rebuilding for Tomorrow recovery program. The work focuses on neighborhood drainage, culvert repairs, sewer upgrades and coastal habitat restoration, and county officials estimate it will directly benefit about 370,000 residents. It follows earlier storm‑hardening approvals that rolled out this spring.
What's in the $95M package
The board’s vote covers 10 projects, including a roughly $30 million overhaul of Ruskin's low‑pressure sewer network, restoration and acquisition of coastal and stream habitats in eastern Tampa Bay communities, targeted drainage upgrades on 76th Street and Pettie Road, and a countywide culvert repair program. According to Hillsborough County, the culvert effort alone is expected to repair or replace about 150 culverts at an estimated cost of $24 million, with other projects carrying their own price tags.
The county says the entire package is funded through a HUD Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery award and is expected to directly benefit roughly 370,000 residents once work is complete.
Officials frame it as long‑term resilience
County leaders are pitching the move as a long game against chronic flooding, not a one‑time patch job. As reported by Bay News 9, Josh Bellotti, director of engineering and operations for Hillsborough County Public Works, said many of the county's pipes and culverts are aging and that repairs will be rolled out in phases over several years. Bay News 9 also noted that the Ruskin sewer overhaul is the single largest project in the package and is intended to cut the risk of sanitary system overflows during heavy rain.
Timeline and next steps
Program materials indicate that many of the infrastructure projects are expected to move into design as early as this summer, with construction staggered in phases as permitting and procurement fall into place. The county's Rebuilding For Tomorrow portal outlines how the CDBG-DR program is structured and how housing, infrastructure and public‑service investments are sequenced over time.
Before major construction can start in most areas, agencies still have to complete environmental reviews and right‑of‑way work, so residents are likely to see planning and design activity before they see heavy equipment rolling down their streets.
Where this fits in local recovery
The new $95 million round builds on action earlier this spring, when commissioners approved about $70 million for ditch cleanups, lift‑station hardening and neighborhood drainage improvements. As previously reported, Hillsborough Drops $70 Million detailed that earlier package and the county's plan to tap a larger federal grant while staging spending for both homeowners and public infrastructure.
How residents can get help
For homeowners, the bigger story sits behind the scenes. Hillsborough County has opened a Rebuilding for Tomorrow call center to guide income‑eligible residents through homeowner programs and application timing. Residents can call (813) 540‑7767, and applications open May 1, according to a county announcement.
More than $200 million is set aside for homeowner assistance, with awards of up to $350,000 available for replacement or reconstruction. The program portal at RebuildingForTomorrow.HCFL.gov includes FAQs, eligibility guidelines and step‑by‑step application details for residents trying to navigate what could be a once‑in‑a‑generation round of flood‑related investment.
