Wet weather will be here soon, and preparing now for hurricane season can help save you headaches later.

St. Lucie County Public Works utilizes in-house staff as well as contractors to inspect and monitor critical infrastructure. Year-round efforts include dive inspections of large critical culverts, clearing heavy vegetation in canals, and bridge inspections, to name a few.

With an annual rainfall of 54 inches, or approximately four and a half feet, drainage is always on our minds.

Public Works couples its swale maintenance efforts with the County Culvert Assistance Program. Drainage swales convey and treat stormwater runoff in many neighborhoods in the County. Over time, they become clogged and need maintenance to perform properly. The Water Quality Division, through the enhanced swale maintenance program, ensures that routine maintenance is performed on existing drainage swales. Driveway culverts often connect these swales and give stormwater a path to flow away from homes and streets. Pairing these two programs helps ensure drainage systems function properly, block by block. This program has addressed swales in River Park, Indian River Estates, Lakewood Park, and Holiday Pines this year.

In addition to year-round projects and maintenance, Public Works staff are ready when a hurricane or other severe weather approaches.

Active construction projects are properly shored up and critical infrastructure is checked. Staff begin coordinating with agencies that move water, like South Florida Water Management District and Fort Pierce Farms Water Control District, as well as the cities of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie. When needed, Public Works can also deploy a 24-inch pump in the Lakewood Park area and a four-inch pump in the Palm Gardens community.

The Road and Bridge Division emergency response team takes necessary steps to be ready to respond as soon as possible following a severe storm. This group of maintenance staff, heavy equipment operators, and other field personnel remove fallen trees and debris and clear roads so first responders and residents can access them.

Whether it’s year-round maintenance or pre-storm activities, St. Lucie County Public Works has systems and personnel in place to be ready to respond as needed.

How can you prepare? Floridadisaster.org has a “Disaster Supply Kit Checklist” and more to help you and your family be ready. Visit the St. Lucie County Emergency Preparedness Portal for additional information and local resources.