Скачать или смотреть How should St. Pete spend nearly $160 million in disaster recovery funds? The city wants your input

Millions of dollars aimed to help with hurricane disaster recovery is coming to St. Pete.

The city is deciding how to spend $159.8 million in disaster recovery funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The money is meant to help with long-term recovery, housing and infrastructure due to hurricanes Helene and Idalia, the city stated.

"The reality of our environment has changed," Mayor Ken Welch said. "That's why we're trying to move upwards of a billion dollars for our infrastructure to make sure our plants are ready and make sure that our infrastructure is ready."

Residents got a chance to provide feedback during Mayor Welch's City Hall On Tour event inside The Coliseum on Wednesday evening. The initiative to provide funds is being dubbed "Sunrise St. Pete."

Kelly Black of Shore Acres had her home flooded during Helene and Idalia. Black said she hopes the money spent could be used to minimize the impact of flooding throughout her neighborhood.

"It's very traumatic," Black said. "I'm learning to adjust to its reality if I'm going to choose to live here in St. Pete, that I have to prepare myself for hurricane season."

For Black, that means anticipating more things being lost from her home she's not prepared to give up. Raising her home, she said, is too costly for the time being.

"Whatever they could do to help remedy just the water being diverted off the streets," she said. "Hopefully, some of the money is going to go towards that."

Residents like Doug Martin second the need for improved infrastructure and highlight backed-up sewers they saw in the area.