TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Hillsboro County commissioners are gathering data on lessons learned from the last hurricane season to see more comprehensively what needs to be improved.
Teco will outline the hurricane plan on Thursday.
TECO customers also pay the price of hurricane damages. They saw a fee increase of about $20 on their monthly bill for storm recovery, listed as storm repair fees.
These fees begin in March and will be set for the next 18 months.
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Some people worry that it is a financial burden, especially for seniors with fixed incomes.
“As Floridians are currently working on rising inflation and already high cost of living, the extra burden of increasing electricity bills is only highlighted on households,” said Chante Jones’ associate state director of advocacy with AARP Florida.
The county is also expected to receive $709 million in federal funds to help with recovery from previous storms.
“Fortunately, we have some federal dollars awarded to be directed towards this effort, and it is very important that we use that money wisely and wisely and do what we can to prepare for the storms of the future.”
Last month, the commissioner received a report containing suggestions on preparing for future storms and improving resilience.
The engineering company also presented research findings showing that unprecedented rainfall caused widespread flooding and recommended an upgrade to the county’s stormwater system.
“We’ll talk a little more about improving stormwater systems, improving pump stations, improving ditches, outflows, canal maintenance and improving communication with residents,” Cohen said.
