Flash Flooding in Florida, September 26 to 27, 1997

Thirty hour rainfall totals of eight to fourteen inches caused flooding of roads, highways, homes, commercial buildings, low-lying areas and rivers over much of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.The heaviest rainfall and subsequent flooding occurred over the cities of Gulfport, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg in southern Pinellas county. In Hillsborough county, the heaviest rainfall and subsequent flooding occurred from Plant City and Brandon south to Ruskin and Sun City over eastern and southern portions of Hillsborough county.Damage in Hillsborough county from the flooding totalled $5.3 million dollars. Out of 205 homes damaged from the flooding, 55 sustained major damage for a total of $1,611,000 dollars. Six businesses suffered damage, two considered major, for a total of $1,030,000 dollars. Three non-profit businesses also suffered flood damage which totalled $2,661,000 dollars. No damage was reported in Pinellas county.In St. Petersburg, a thirteen year old female was swept into a storm drain while playing in floodwaters at a city park on 36th Avenue N. and Eighth Street at 7 pm est. She was dragged into raging waters underground for two blocks before she emerged and was rescued by firefighters. She died from the flood injuries at 9 am est on 9/28/97.In St. Petersburg, floodwaters carried a 23 year old woman twelve blocks underground in a drain before she was dumped into a retention pond with only minor injuries around 3 pm est. The female was playing at Booker Creek under a wooden bridge with two children on the 2100 block of Ninth Avenue N., one-eighth mile west of I-275, when she lost her footing and was carried off by the fast moving flood waters.