Janelle Irwin Taylor
A measure championed by Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Rep. Lindsay Cross that would create a traffic violation for creating wake in flooded streets has cleared the Legislature and heads next to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature.
DiCeglie, an Indian Rocks Beach Republican, and Cross, a St. Petersburg Democrat, both represent areas that experienced significant and historic flooding from Hurricane Helene in September. The two bucked partisanship to sponsor bills (SB 350, HB 241) in their respective chambers to ensure that neighborhood flooding isn’t exacerbated by vehicles trying to navigate flooded roadways.
Neither bill passed, but provisions in both were added to a larger legislative package (SB 462), sponsored by DiCeglie in the Senate and Rep. Fiona McFarland in the House, governing a variety of transportation issues ranging from school bus safety to traffic signal modernization.
The wake provision was a top priority for DiCeglie.
“I heard from countless residents after Hurricane Helene — many whose homes were already under water — suffering even more damage because vehicles plowed through their streets and created dangerous wakes,” he said. “This is a commonsense fix that will help protect our families and property during extreme weather events.”
The bill prohibits drivers from speeding through flooded streets and creating a wake that could damage, or further damage, properties.
The original bill called for the ability of local governments to enact ordinances governing vehicle wake on roadways. Language in the broader transportation package that ultimately passed instead adds provisions on creating wake to Florida state statute governing uniform traffic control, making it a noncriminal traffic moving violation.
While Cross was ultimately dropped from the effort as a result of it being included in a Senate package, she applauded the work she and DiCeglie completed “to get the vehicle wake language across the finish line this year.”
“This policy, which prevents the creation of an excessive wakes on flooded streets, will reduce unnecessary damage to homes and businesses and keep our neighborhoods and communities safer. I look forward to spreading the message about this new, proactive policy, in preparation for the upcoming hurricane season. It’s up to all of us to respect our neighbors by slowing down on flooded streets,” she said.
The need for such measures became painfully evident last year when storm surge from Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding in the Tampa Bay area, including Pinellas County beaches represented by DiCeglie, and low-lying areas such as Shore Acres in St. Petersburg, which Cross represents. The wake from vehicles zooming through floodwaters can create or worsen flooding to homes, other cars, businesses and infrastructure.
In addition to the language regarding vehicles’ wake, DiCeglie’s bill also creates a traffic signal modernization program with a $10 million annual investment to upgrade signal technology; adds transparency and accountability language for Metropolitan Planning Organizations; allows the Florida Department of Transportation to award workforce development grants to colleges and school districts for certain civil construction training; increases flexibility for airports; establishes a pilot program at Sarasota-Manatee Airport to test alternative permitting models for future development; strengthens school bus safety laws regarding the handling of infractions; and authorizes the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to issue expectant mother parking permits, among other reforms.
“This legislation is about delivering real, tangible improvements to the lives of Floridians,” DiCeglie said. “From protecting neighborhoods during storms to modernizing our infrastructure and investing in workforce development, SB 462 brings commonsense reform and innovation to our transportation systems.”
“This legislation reflects the input of residents, community leaders, and transportation professionals across Florida,” he added. “It’s the product of listening, collaboration, and a commitment to safer, smarter infrastructure for the future.”
