Here's a local and state news update from Florida Today and WFIT. I'm Evan Niemczyk.
Tropical Depression Two strengthened into Tropical Storm Bertha last night. Meteorologist Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network says that the storm will track westward away from our state over the next few days,
"Right so Bertha will be slow to exit our area for the west, but thankfully we’re looking at minor impacts for the state of Florida, and most of those will be felt over the Panhandle and the west coast of the peninsula. For the eastern peninsula, drier air in the mid-levels and upper levels is actually going to nudge into the region from south to north it’ll still feel muggy, but drier air aloft will help to put a limit on storm chances. Those chances won’t be zero… we still could see rain bands from Bertha’s circulation make it across the peninsula to the Atlantic Coast, but those bands shouldn’t be too robust."
Megan says that a concern for our area today will be rip currents: The risk for most Atlantic beaches today will be moderate. She says we should check conditions before entering the water and we should aways swim near a lifeguard. Megan reminds us that for up-to-the-minute forecast information, we should download the Florida Storms App for iOS and Android devices.
The City of St Petersburg received two million dollars in state funding for the storm damage improvements project.
The project is a part of the St Pete Agile Resilience program - an initiative to prevent flooding by working on sewer and water systems.
They use storm water pump stations which drain out the water that accumulates on lower streets and discharge it into the bay.
The community of Shore Acres does not have any pump stations at the moment.
With the grant, the city will build four new ones.
Claude Tankersley is the City of St Petersburg’s Public Works Administrator.
He says they started planning for the new pumps in 2020 and the project is in the final design stages.
“When you have something as large as what we're talking about, it takes a long time to really figure out how it would work, where it could work, what kind of impact it could have, how it would connect to other parts of the system.”
Tankersley says he believes all four new pumps will be completed in the next five years.
There are already four storm water pump stations completed and working effectively in St Petersburg – across Riviera Bay, Emerald Lake and 38th Avenue North.
This summer's intense heat is taking a toll on Florida's marine ecosystems, with coral bleaching already reported in the Florida Keys. WFIT's Terri Wright reports.
"Florida's corals are under stress from warming ocean temperatures, which can cause bleaching by forcing corals to lose the algae they rely on for food. While prolonged bleaching can be fatal, marine scientists say some corals can recover, offering hope despite years of losses from disease and other environmental threats.
Dr. Cory Krediet is a professor of marine science and biology at Eckert College in Saint Petersburg."
"Here, especially in Florida, we have lost nearly 98% of our coral reefs, and so the 2% that is left are hopefully those that have maybe survived these bleaching events in the past. If a bleaching stress is relatively short in duration, Corals may be able to rebound. However, what we're starting to experience is more frequent and more severe bleaching, which then means the period in between is less and less, and it becomes harder and harder for these coral colonies to recover."
For these stories and more, visit FloridaToday.com and WFIT.org. I'm Evan Niemczyk