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Tampa’s $39M investment to help reduce flooding could be undone by Hurricane Ian, NBC News reports

In this aerial image, the city of Tampa, Fla., is seen Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. Hurricane Ian was growing stronger as it barreled toward Cuba on a track to hit Florida's west coast as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday. It's been more than a century since a major storm like Ian has struck the Tampa Bay area, which blossomed from a few hundred thousand people in 1921 to more than 3 million today. (DroneBase via AP) (Uncredited)

TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa has been undergoing major infrastructure upgrades to protect the vulnerable city from flooding, but as Hurricane Ian barrels toward Florida’s west coast, the project is still years from completion.

The city is in the early phases of a roughly $39 million project to improve drainage and reduce flooding in the Seminole Heights neighborhood. Construction is only about 30% done, said Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.

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The three-year project to build a major stormwater conveyance system began late last year. It was on schedule before Ian threatened to undo its progress this week with forecasted wind speeds topping 130 mph, prolonged storm surges of up to 15 feet expected in some areas, heavy rainfall and possible tornadoes.

Read the full report from NBC News.


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