TAMPA, Fla. — A historic brick road in Tampa was flooded by Hurricane Debby, leaving it "severely damaged," according to city officials.
West Prescott Street has a historic layer of brick that was flooded by the storm, leaving the roadway damaged and needing immediate repair.
The road will be closed to the west of South Westshore Boulevard until it can be fixed, according to a news release.
The city of Tampa's Mobility team is working on a solution to help expedite repairs to the road.
City of Tampa Mobility Director Vik Bhide said during a press conference that the cost and a working timeline are unknown but that it is critical they replace the road as soon as possible.
"This is a historic street and will be replaced as such," Bhide said.
While the exact height of the flood is unknown, Bhide reported that it was at least a foot of water since the curb is up to six inches tall and the road was impassible. The mobility team was reportedly unable to access it until Tuesday morning.
The flood was a combination of stormwater, high tides and heavy rainfall, according to Bhide.
Bhide said that the area was hit with 3-foot tides and 4-foot storm surges and that the impact was more serious than normal because the new moon was making tides higher. He said as storms get worse and the weather threat toward Tampa becomes more serious, the mobility team is working to learn how to mitigate the effects of storm surges.
Updates will be posted on the city's website.
