Weekend Storm Swamps St. Petersburg Streets, Locals Blame Construction Site

A fierce storm struck Disston Heights on Sunday night. Water rushed through the St. Petersburg streets as rain fell at an extreme rate: an inch every quarter hour. The deluge crept up to homes and flooded a garage.

"It looked like a cascade," said Nestor Lopez, according to Fox 13 News. Lopez has watched over his property there for nine years.

Officials rushed to check if the new affordable housing work at Palm Lake Christian Church met building standards. The inspection came after locals pointed fingers at the site for water problems.

As water poured down, weather experts issued urgent flood alerts. Measuring tools tracked the intense rainfall all night.

"What happened last night, it was hard to believe unless you saw it," said Silvia Paredes, who has spent 53 years there. "That amount of water was going up on the curve into people's yards and all of that dirt flushing down."

The flood topped past hurricane damage, residents said. They claimed building waste blocked water drains, making things worse.

Randy Bryant, a 30-year resident, voiced his concerns. "The water is so muddy coming from the project, when it hits the streets, and it goes into the storm drains, there's no place for that sand to go," he said.

Brian Evjen leads Newstar Development. He defended their work: "Per our engineer, the current drainage system is compliant with the SWFWMD and City of St Pete drainage requirements."

Rules require builders to stop soil from washing away. Top city building experts visited on Monday to check if workers followed the rules.

The church took quick action. "We have begun our investigation and made some extra mitigation to ensure things move smoother," they stated.

The Palm Lake Urban Sanctuary brings together three groups: Newstar Development, the church, and county housing officials.

A full report on drainage and building code compliance will come soon from city inspectors.