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But many residents, like Cornell-Vanderstraat, can’t afford to upgrade or move out. Even if they have considerable home equity — Cornell-Vanderstraat, a tutor whose husband died in 2018, has lived there for 22 years — it’s unlikely they’ll be able to find another affordable home in Shore Acres or similar communities, given how much home prices and mortgage rates have risen.
“I’m going to be here for the foreseeable future,” Cornell-Wanstrat said.
Shore Acres is a low-lying area on the edge of Tampa Bay with wide streets and comfortable homes, but flooding is a constant threat here.Credit: Zach Wittman/The New York Times
The neighborhood is tree-lined and walkable, with great schools nearby and close to downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa across the bay. A large recreation center hosts community events. The local Facebook group is very active; after Hurricane Idalia, neighbors offered to do each other’s laundry and recommend reliable contractors.
Connell-Wandstrat, 51, bought a home in Shore Acres because she thought it was a gem, home to doctors and lawyers, as well as teachers and nurses. Less affluent people are more susceptible, however: The neighborhood is shaped like a bowl, with more modest homes in the middle.
When some homes were built in the mid-20th century, the city could only suggest, not require, a certain height, said Claude Tankersley, St. Petersburg’s public works administrator. Today, with rapid increases in flooding from high tides in the Gulf of Mexico, parts of Shore Acres take on water even on sunny days. On a recent afternoon, puddles formed at both ends of the Connell-Wandstrat neighborhood.
As residents push their city to do more in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, the city of St. Petersburg has begun installing nearly $4 million worth of new equipment to prevent saltwater from flooding nearby drains, with more projects planned.
Nearly every block in Shore Acres is covered in “For Sale” signs.Credit: Zach Wittman/The New York Times
Still, Tankersley said the ongoing project is only a “stopgap measure.” Everyone in Shore Axe knows that the best solution, short of leaving, is to build tall buildings, which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a program to assist, but the application process is long and requires approval from the city and state governments.
Tankersley said St. Petersburg, with a population of about 260,000, has helped build 13 homes since 1996, has an addition currently under construction and 14 more are in the planning stages.
“It’s a scary thing to talk about such a huge change like having to raise the height of the houses and the costs involved,” he said. “We recognize it’s going to take a long time.”
Melissa Watson, a 46-year-old surgical nurse, bought the cheerful blue house in 2021. She left Ohio for Florida in 2018 after surviving cancer and divorce. She had bid unsuccessfully on 17 other houses before her bid on Shore Acres was accepted.
A home in Shore Acres is placed on concrete pillars.Credit: Zach Wittman/The New York Times
“It wasn’t until I signed the contract that I really understood the severity of flooding in the area,” she said.
When Hurricane Idalia hit, 46 centimeters of water flooded Watson’s home, forcing Watson and her teenage son to move between friends’ homes, Airbnbs and hotels for eight months.
To repair the flood damage, the insurance company offered to pay $52,000 to $58,000 ($78,000 to $87,000); the contractor told her the work would cost $65,000 to $75,000. She couldn’t afford to elevate the house, but she raised the air conditioner and electrical outlets in preparation for the next flood.
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“My neighbors are selling their houses. I have no neighbors across the street. There’s an ugly building being built behind me,” she said. “I’m worried about what this neighborhood will end up like.”
Kevin Bartdorf, president of the Shore Acres Civic Association, urged the city and state to find more ways to keep residents in their homes. He said people are being told it would cost $250,000 to $400,000, depending on the size of the home, to elevate it and reconfigure electrical and plumbing systems.
Bartdorf, the real estate agent, said people are still buying homes in the neighborhood, even if it’s just to tear down and rebuild. He likened the situation to when Tropical Storm Josephine flooded Shore Acres in 1996. Bartdorf walked in knee-deep water to make sure the homes his clients wanted weren’t flooded. The flooding hasn’t deterred buyers.
“I signed the contract in the water that day,” he said. “People love living here. It’s convenient. It’s paradise.”
Kitty Bennett contributed research.
This article was originally published on New York Times.
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