The County approved major projects to clean canals and culverts and build new ditches; funding comes from a federal grant after two 2024 hurricanes
Hillsborough County, Fla. (April 1, 2026) - Hillsborough County Commissioners on Wednesday, April 1, moved forward on more than $70 million of drainage projects that are meant to prevent or minimize future flooding for half a million residents. The projects are in addition to $9 million in planned drainage work approved earlier this year.
Funding for the Rebuilding for Tomorrow projects comes from a $709 million disaster recovery federal grant awarded after Hillsborough County suffered major damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. About half of that funding will go toward projects to repair damage the storm caused to roads, canals, culverts, pump stations, wastewater lift stations, and other public systems, and for projects that will improve the area's future storm resilience. The bulk of the remaining federal grant money will be used for programs that help those whose homes were damaged by the storms.
Projects moving forward range from $42 million to clean and restore ditches and drains throughout the county to $18 million to make wastewater lift stations less likely to fail during future flooding, usually by adding backup generators. Projects approved earlier this year are designed to improve drainage in specific neighborhoods. Overall, the projects are designed to help prevent or limit flooding by adding capacity to the County's drainage systems and by reducing the possibility that water or wastewater lift systems fail because of the power outages that frequently occur during strong storms. Here is a list of specific infrastructure projects funded by the grant.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage but affected Hillsborough County in different ways. Hurricane Helene in late September 2024 caused major flooding along the coasts and rivers, primarily from the strongest storm surge the area has seen in decades. Hurricane Milton's arrival in early October 2024 brought hurricane-force winds, as much as 15 inches of rain, and widespread flooding, including in inland neighborhoods that had seldom experienced flooding before.
Planning has begun for the projects approved by County Commissioners, with work on most other infrastructure projects expected to start later this year.