Mayor Welch & City of St. Petersburg Recognize Anniversaries of Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Mayor Kenneth T. Welch and City of St. Petersburg Recognize Anniversaries of Hurricanes Helene and Milton

~ City Secures a Total of $54 Million in FEMA and Insurance Reimbursements to Support Long-Term Recovery Efforts ~

Sept. 26, 2025 - Against the backdrop of Tropicana Field, Mayor Kenneth T. Welch joined City Council Chair Copley Gerdes, Fire Rescue Chief Keith Watts, and other City leaders to recognize the one-year anniversaries of Hurricanes Helene and Milton and to provide an update on long-term recovery efforts. Mayor Welch also highlighted individuals or organizations in the community who displayed innovation in their recovery efforts. A recording of the press conference is available on the City's Facebook channel, https://www.facebook.com/StPeteFL.

"When Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted our community, at the time, I wasn't sure what the future of our City would look like, but I knew that we would be committed to the long road to recovery," said Mayor Kenneth T. Welch. "These hurricanes changed our community forever. I want to thank our City staff for their dedication, tenacity, and perseverance in the last year as we've worked to rebuild our community. They've accomplished this monumental feat while also balancing their other, everyday responsibilities. We will never forget the lasting impacts these storms had on St. Pete."

"One year after Hurricane Helene challenged our community, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is proud to announce a significant upgrade in our ability to serve our community during future storms. For our residents, this means faster and safer rescues, and a greater peace of mind knowing that your St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is prepared to better serve your needs in any emergency. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue stands ready - stronger, safer, and more capable than ever," said Fire Rescue Chief Keith Watts.

"The work is not done, but as I look around I can see the sun rising. I can see things moving forward, and as we carry the lessons we've learned into the future, we will continue to shape decisions that make our city safer, stronger, and more resilient," said City Council Chair Copley Gerdes.

Long-Term Recovery

The City of St. Petersburg continues to support long-term recovery efforts in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

• FEMA & Insurance Payments - To date, the City has received $40,132,689 in FEMA reimbursements and $13,930,083 in insurance payments. The City has received FEMA reimbursements for projects that include debris removal, emergency protective services, and other actions taken for the hurricanes. To date, that's a total of $54,062,773 to help the City recover. The City continues to work with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and FEMA to secure additional reimbursements for remaining projects.

• Sunrise St. Pete - Sunrise St. Pete is the City's initiative for its allocation of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City will receive $159.8 million in CDBG-DR to support long-term recovery efforts from the 2023/2024 storms Idalia and Helene. This funding will support housing, infrastructure, and community recovery. In August, the City's Action Plan was approved by HUD. With the Action Plan approved, the City is working on the finalized Grant Agreement. Once the Grant Agreement is finalized, the initial programs are expected to launch in early 2026, prioritizing residential recovery and infrastructure resiliency. More information can be found at https://www.SunriseStPete.org.

• Infrastructure Improvements - In response to last year's storms, the City launched the St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan (SPAR) to accelerate resiliency projects designed to harden the city's infrastructure. SPAR accomplishments in the last year include installing an AquaFence at Lift Station 85, installing flood panels at the Northeast Wastewater Reclamation Facility, installing mobile pumps and trailers at lift stations throughout the city, launching the Private Lateral Rebate Program, and elevating critical equipment at Water Reclamation facilities. A full list of SPAR projects is available at https://www.StPete.org/SPAR.

• Post Disaster Emergency Permits - The City continues to process post disaster emergency permits (PDEP) for Hurricanes Helene and Milton. As one of the last municipalities to waive permit fees for PDEPs, the City has waived $2.9 million in permit fees to date. The City has issued more than 14,500 PDEPs and the total construction value from PDEPs is approximately $299 million. The City anticipates that we'll be back to standard review times by the end of the month.

• Tropicana Field Repairs - The City continues to make progress on Tropicana Field repairs. To date, eight roof panels have been successfully installed and roof repairs are expected to be completed by the end of the year. For non-roof repairs, the City has submitted permit drawings for interior repairs and those are currently under review. Once roof installation is complete, work will start on turf installation and other major interior work. The entire project is on track to be completed by April 2026.

High-Water Rescue Vehicles

Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented high-water rescues and highlighted the need for enhanced capabilities. In response, St. Pete Fire Rescue secured three new high-water rescue vehicles to better serve the community during disasters. These new vehicles are equipped with lift gates, can move through flooded neighborhoods, can establish critical water supplies in areas cut off from traditional resources, and safely transport residents and responders. Each vehicle can carry 20 ore more people at once, helping first responders safely and efficiently get residents out of danger. Each truck can wade through water up to four feet deep.

The high-water rescue vehicles will be strategically deployed based on historical data and can be repositioned rapidly as conditions evolve. These high-water rescue vehicles directly improve response times and capabilities during storms. By preparing with these specialized tools, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is staying ahead, ready to protect the community when it matters most.

Community Innovators

Community innovators are individuals or organizations who displayed innovation to respond to a need in their community. At the Hurricanes Helene and Milton anniversary event, Mayor Welch, City Council Chair Gerdes, and the City of St. Petersburg recognized the following organizations for serving their community during and after the storms and for continuing to support long-term recovery efforts.

• ICare - ICare St. Pete provides free medical, dental, and mental health services, as well as hurricane relief food, supplies and essentials, to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or hardship, helping restore health, stability, and dignity. Following Hurricane Helene, ICare St. Pete recognized the critical need for accessible care for residents who lost everything, prompting them to expand their mental health program and continue providing free medical care and medication to support recovery and rebuilding efforts. More information can be found by visiting https://www.icarestpete.org.

• Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association - Historic Kenwood's mission is to foster a diverse, inclusive community that enhances quality of life, preserves historic charm, supports the arts, promotes civic engagement, encourages neighborhood pride, strengthens housing quality, and advocates on issues affecting residents. During the 2024 back-to-back storms, the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association mobilized teams of volunteers to be deployed to the hardest hit areas in the City and support recovery efforts. This includes organizing a toy drive and delivering supplies door-to-door. As a result, they were recognized for their work at the Neighborhoods USA conference and won first place in the Neighborly Category. More information can be found by visiting https://www.historickenwood.org.

• Radio St. Pete - St. Petersburg's Community Radio Station 96.7 FM, Radio St. Pete, is a volunteer and nonprofit organization that provides local live event coverage and community conversations daily with leaders in arts, government, business, and nonprofits. Radio St. Pete is taking steps to ensure continued FM operation during major storms and other emergencies when power and/or internet may be inoperable. The station is now connected to an emergency power generator and purchased new internet service that will switch to any available cell-based service when regular internet service is lost, allowing the FM station to stay on the air. More information can be found by visiting https://www.RadioStPete.com.

• Relief Market & Grille - The Relief Market & Grille began in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton as a grassroots effort in the founder's driveway to provide hot meals, essential supplies, and a place of connection for St. Petersburg residents. Today, it has grown into a nonprofit organization dedicated to turning crisis into community through food, relief, and events that bring neighbors together. Their long-term mission is to sustain community-powered relief by keeping the grills hot and the market stocked-whether in response to disasters, economic hardship, or everyday needs. Beyond recovery, they focus on preparedness, resilience, and building a stronger St. Pete through ongoing events, partnerships, and support services. More information can be found by visiting https://www.reliefmarketandgrille.org.

• Show Up Relief Alliance - Born from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the core mission of Show Up Relief Alliance is to assist areas commonly affected by natural disasters, with disaster preparedness and relief services at no charge, that they otherwise may not be able to afford or easily have access to. The alliance provides grassroots, hands-on labor, and collective resource dissemination that they found many residents struggling with immediately after a disaster. More information can be found by visiting https://www.showupreliefalliance.com.