TAMPA, Fla. - Residents along West Euclid and West Bay Villa Avenue in South Tampa are urging the city to address flooding concerns tied to Canal 20.

Neighbors said the waterway is filled with three to six feet of silt and debris, leaving stormwater with nowhere to go.

The clogged canal, they argue, made hurricane damage worse during storms Helene and Milton. Some homeowners are now paying up to $110,000 out of pocket to replace collapsed seawalls — costs not covered by insurance.

The backstory:

In 2013, the City of Tampa spent $2.8 million dredging 10 canals in the Westshore area, but Canal 20 wasn’t included.

City officials said the canal is too narrow to meet state dredging requirements, which mandate keeping a minimum of 10 feet from seawalls and five feet from docks. Official

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