Remembering May 10th: A Case for Undergrounding Utilities | Opinion

Downed tree and powerline on North Gadsden Street

Last year’s tornadoes were a sobering reminder of just how vulnerable Tallahassee remains to extreme weather. On May 10, 2024, two EF2 tornadoes tore through the city, causing catastrophic damage to neighborhoods, universities, and local business districts. More than 80,000 residents lost power, and the cost of recovery is estimated to exceed $184 million. Lives were lost, and daily life was upended—all within a matter of hours. Events like this make one thing clear: we can’t afford to build fragile infrastructure.

Downed trees and debris at Florida A&M University on Friday, May 10, 2024.

From tornadoes to hurricanes to daily thunderstorms, Tallahassee regularly faces weather events that knock out power for thousands. This raises a critical question: what more can we do to accelerate the undergrounding of our utilities?

Most of Tallahassee’s power infrastructure is above ground—vulnerable to high winds, falling trees, and even routine vehicle accidents. Each storm weakens our grid, leading to expensive repairs and prolonged outages. This doesn’t just affect residents—it disrupts businesses, emergency services, and schools.

Here’s what you can expect in return from undergrounding utilities:

• Storm Resilience – Underground lines are shielded from wind and debris, reducing outages and speeding up recovery after storms.

• Improved Aesthetics – Eliminating poles and wires enhances the beauty of our neighborhoods.

• Economic Growth – A more reliable grid encourages businesses to invest and expand in Tallahassee.

• Increased Property Values – Homes in areas with underground utilities typically command higher market values.

• Enhanced Safety – Fewer fire hazards and utility-related accidents.

• Long-Term Savings on Storm Recovery – Tallahassee’s urban forest is a source of pride—but it also contributes to outages when trees fall during storms. Maintaining overhead lines in a city with dense tree cover is costly. Undergrounding utilities would reduce these recurring expenses while preserving and expanding our canopy.

Underground utilities, installed beneath the sidewalks.

The cost of undergrounding utilities is undeniably high—but the truth is, we might already be paying for it without realizing it. Let’s take the recovery costs from the May 10th tornadoes, combine that with the millions spent each year on trimming tree branches away from power lines, and then multiply that total by 20 years. That number quickly climbs past $1 billion.

Instead of repeatedly spending to repair and maintain a vulnerable system, we should be investing in a resilient one. And there’s only one governmental entity with the capacity to marshal that level of funding for transformative infrastructure: the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency.

What I’m proposing:

The current Blueprint one-cent sales tax—approved by voters in 2014 as a 20-year extension—is set to expire on December 31, 2039. While that may seem far off, discussions around the next phase will begin well in advance.

When they do, for the infrastructure portion of the budget, let’s avoid a laundry list of 15–20 competing projects that create tension among commissioners and residents. Instead, let’s focus on two transformative, high-cost, high-impact investments:

1. Undergrounding Tallahassee’s Utility Infrastructure

2. Building Regional Stormwater Facilities to reduce infrastructure costs for infill housing and support smart, sustainable growth (more on this topic coming soon).

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Tell us what you think about undergrounding utilities by joining the conversation on our social media platforms. Your voice matters!