Tampa Mayor Jane Castor delivered her 2025 State of the City address on Monday at the Tampa River Center, commending the city's strength and growth after last year's back-to-back hurricanes. Castor said the city's strength isn't measured in numbers but in how neighbors came together to lift each other up after Helene and Milton. "Some of our neighbors lost everything," Castor said. "Homes flooded, streets disappeared underwater, and yet, we endured." The mayor went on to congratulate the city's first responders for their "heroic" efforts during the storms, noting that during Helene, they answered nearly 200 emergency calls, rescued 52 residents and eight pets. "During Milton, just 13 days later, our emergency personnel handled over 15,000 calls," Castor said. "One of those calls, at the height of the storm, our brave first responders rescued 15 people who were trapped in a home that had been crushed by a large tree." Castor not only thanked first responders for their efforts during the storms, but also the public works department for clearing debris from Tampa's streets. "Solid Waste collected enough debris to fill the Rivergate Tower, better known as the Beer Can Building, four-and-a-half times over," Castor said. "Every department stepped up. Every employee gave 100%." While Castor praised Tampa's hurricane recovery efforts, she added that there is still plenty of work to be done in several neighborhoods, including Davis Islands, Palmetto Beach and Forest Hills, among others. "The devastation lingers," Castor said. "I've seen the anguish and fear in the eyes of so many Tampanians, and I promise you will not be forgotten."