Residents of Hillsborough County's historically Black neighborhood, Progress Village, dealt with devastating flooding from Hurricane Milton last week.
They are no strangers to standing water, though, as the area has had drainage issues for years.
At a comfort station near the Progress Village Senior Center in Hillsborough County, Wilma Hobdy is carrying a full laundry basket and wearing a T-shirt that says "Be kind. Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about."
She has lived in Progress Village nearly 55 years, and during that time, she's witnessed what she calls a "really bad drain issue" there.
"I used to wonder why my stepfather used to sweep the drains all the time. And even with us sweeping and cleaning the drains, the water wasn't going anywhere," she said.
The rainwater builds up and just stays there, pooling. Then came Hurricane Milton, which she said was the worst flooding she's seen. The water rose around her home in the front and back yards and two feet into her house.
"Once the road started flooding and people was trying to drive that water was whooshing into the house, the backyard was even with the front yard. That's how bad it was," she said.
For at least two days, Hobdy had to wear rain boots to get in and out of her home.
"The water wasn't going anywhere. It was just right there, standing still on the curbs," she said.
Hobdy’s neighbors helped to drag wet items out of her house, and in return, she pulled out her rake and leaf blower to assist others.
"That's what we do, because you don't never know what somebody's is able to do, so you just go and help... And I just want to thank everybody that came out from across the country and stuff to help our community out. And that's just my heart," she said tearing up.
Hillsborough’s drainage plan
Hillsborough County recently started construction on a project that will provide drainage solutions for Progress Village.
The public works department will install more stormwater drains to collect the rain. The water will then move through a new treatment pond before being released to Archie Creek.
Bianca Hatten, a community relations coordinator with the county, said they can't necessarily eliminate the flooding.
"When you have over a foot of rainfall over such a short amount of time, it is very difficult to make sure there's no flooding at all. But it is aimed to reduce the flooding," she said, adding that this project will improve the quality of life for people living in Progress Village.
"We are protecting not only lives, but also property. We get residents reaching out to us in this neighborhood fairly often about their concerns for the flooding, and so this really gives this area peace of mind."
The county has been working on this project very closely with community leaders, particularly those within the Progress Village Civic Council.
It's an organization that supports residents there and has been pushing for these drainage improvements.
Marlise Tolbert-Jones is on the council, and she's lived her whole life - 60 years- in Progress Village. It began as an affordable neighborhood for African Americans in the 1950s. And now has hundreds of homes.
"My parents were one of the first seven to receive their keys to Progress Village when it was built," she said.
She now owns several homes in the neighborhood passed down to her by deceased family members… and Hurricane Milton caused water damage to some of her properties.
Neighbors helping neighbors
Construction on the new stormwater system is supposed to wrap up in about a year.
In the meantime, Tolbert-Jones said Progress Village residents will continue to do what they've always done.
"We get out. We get in our cars. We go by. We up and down the streets, asking neighbors, 'Are you okay? Do you need anything?'" she said.
There have been neighborhood cleanups, hot food handouts at the local church, and Tolbert-Jones is part of a group chat where community leaders give live updates on what their neighbors need.
"I mean, it just gives me chills to and I know you see the smile on my face, because that's what we do. We pull together, not only when there is a crisis, but, you know, fun times and just, we just rally around each other," she said with a radiant glow on her face.
For longtime residents, like Wilma Hobdy who had two feet of water in her house, leaving the neighborhood for higher ground is not an option.
"I'm not going nowhere. I'll be here till it falls down. I'm here,” she said chuckling.
Hobdy loves her community... she just wants the drainage to be fixed.
