A new study suggests that climate change is making back-to-back hurricanes more common, which could make it tougher for coastal communities to recover. On certain days, the park opens for public tours. Also lurking in the waves and wind are the impacts of climate change and the higher sea levels scientists say it is causing. There are a number of serious hazards that come along with hurricanes striking a coastal area. The previous year, a much-weakened Tropical Storm Eta made landfall about 130 miles north of Tampa in November 2020. While many people who have lived in Florida for a while believe they have experienced a truly catastrophic hurricane, few have. As hurricanes move inland, they can no longer feed off of the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean, and so they lose strength. When he's not teaching a Florida history class at St. Petersburg High, he works as executive director of the Saint Petersburg Museum of History near the Pier. Tampa is also located on the coast, which makes it vulnerable to the storm surge that can accompany a hurricane. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection at the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, waves from the bay almost breaking in the streets of Ybor City. Finally making it by boat to the Cortez Public School, now the Florida Maritime Museum. The City of Oldsmar posting the video on YouTube. "Something about this being sacred ground or something? In fact, historians have no idea which tribes even lived in Sarasota County. Or, the American Indians who once. "Do they want to protect their burial mounds," Farias wondered in the interview. The storm surge from that hurricane, estimated at Category 3 with winds of up to 129 mph ( 207 km/h) was pegged at 11 feet (3.3 meters). And while the area has been hit by multiple damaging storms since then, Tampa Bay has somehow avoided the big one. The day it roared ashore, the morning edition of the St. Petersburg Times had the headline "City Escapes Big Hurricane." The highest storm surge was in the downtown Tampa and Tarpon Springs areas. Andrews total damage cost was $26.5 billion as communities in the surrounding areas were severely affected due to its intense winds and high storm surge. Some photos were taken during the event. The last one hit more . Historians pinpoint the very 'worst year' ever to be alive, Drone footage shows spectacular view of ghost town frozen in time, 'Once-in-a-lifetime' moment caught on video by kayaker. Known as the Southernmost City in the Continental United States, Key West is directly impacted by a hurricane every 6.04 years, according to Hurricane City. Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. But the legend grows each year that goes by without a destructive storm battering the Tampa Bay area. Thats a lot of risk, to state the obvious. Tony DeAngelo , for instance, put up 51 points in 64 games with the club last season before they cut him loose. ", Joel, however, is less skeptical. Just how vulnerable? "It's like a lot of urban myths; there's no origin, but somehow everyone knows it," Baram said. How to avoid the potentially deadly grip of a rip current. "I did everything I could to protect their artifacts," Farias said before Irma came through, letting the Tampa Bay area off the hook by weakening to a storm with less-than-catastrophic winds. Tampa, situated on a peninsula lying along Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, is exposed to hurricanes entering the Gulf and systems forming in the Atlantic. And, taking into account climate change, areas that wouldn't flood before could now be under several feet of water. The others from the hazards of the fallen debris like live wires. But the population was not unusually high. There are two version of the Native American folklore: either the knowledge that Sarasota was a safe haven was passed through generations of Native peoples or their burials places provided the protection from hurricanes. "The wind speeds move counterclockwise around these storms if it moved and it landfall north of Tampa Bay the Southwest winds would funnel all that water into Tampa Bay it would turn Pinellas County into about two islands, and the water would get trapped there for days," LaMarre said. For centuries, the Tocobaga tribe inhabited the coastline of Tampa Bay, surviving on a diet consisting mostly of fish and shellfish. Rui Farias, executive director of the St. Petersburg Museum of History, told the Tampa Bay Times after Hurricane Irmas near miss in 2017 that many people still believe it. There is no found scientific reason hurricanes seem to avoid the area. ", Hughes takes phone calls about the myth every year during hurricane season. The last time Tampa Bay was hit by a major storm was Oct. 25, 1921. Hours later, Tampa was under 11 feet of water. Tampa Bay didn't come out of the storm largely unscathed because of Native American rituals and a Caribbean land configuration that amounts to a blockade against hurricanes, scientists said.. Also known as the Tarpon Springs hurricane, the Category 3 storm leveled the region with up to 115 mph winds. The adjacent Gulf of Mexico is also shallow. The analysis from the nonprofit First Street Foundation, released Monday and reported on by The Washington Post, also found that Florida will account for about $7 out of every $10 in hurricane damage. Another reminder of Floridas massive hurricane risk | Editorial. Kottlowski explained that Irma "was a Cat 1 when it passed just east ofdowntown Tampa with a tropical-storm-force wind field of over 300 miles. Breathing issues are possible at some beaches. The headline read, "Weatherman Optimistic for Future.". Based on historical data, on average a hurricane will pass within 50 miles of the Miami metropolitan area every six to eight years. So we are very fortunate we have not been hit by a major hurricane in close to a hundred years.". "Tampa Bay is very surge-prone because of its orientation." The National Hurricane Center is predicting storm surge in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters of between 5 and 10 feet above normal. "Miami has a large population density, and as a result, the effects of a major hurricane would be catastrophic to the city," AccuWeather Meteorologist David Samuhel said. "I wasn't a believer before, but I am now," Farias said Tuesday as the sun shone over Tampa Bay. Tampa, situated on a peninsula lying along Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, is exposed to hurricanes entering the Gulf and systems forming in the Atlantic. manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+, "When you plot all the possible tracks of storms from these forecast models, it can look like spaghetti if the forecast goes out too far hence the name "spaghetti plots," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said. "The surge would likely be higher. "A lot of people say it's the Indian mounds," Farias replied. The central wastewater treatment plant, Howard Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, is in the middle of Port Tampa Bay. But as seen below on this FEMA map, the swath of damage was very narrow. Now, areas south of Tampa are expected to see up to an 18 ft (5.5 m) storm surge during the peak of the hurricane, creating "life-threatening" conditions, according to the National Hurricane . "Cape Hatteras is very close to the Gulf Stream, which enables hurricanes to strengthen due to warmer ocean temperatures during the summer," Samuhel explained. "As they are in this two-story building, the water is rising even higher, and you know this was a kid's account talking about it. They also make sure the petroleum tanks themselves are at least halfway full. The last direct strike was in 1921. "Tampa City of Ruins," "Bayshore Swept Clean," "Estimate Losses More than a Million Dollars," "Refugees Flee from Flood at Oldsmar," "Two Dead at St. Petersburg: Twelve are Trapped on Island," "One Drowns and another Electrocuted. Its one of the most populated areas on Floridas Gulf Coast, but hasnt had a direct hit from a landfalling hurricane in 100 years. One of the problems is that gasoline and diesel fuel are lighter than water, so if the tanks are not completely full, it could float off its foundation. July 2, 2020, 10:58 AM. Lets take a deeper look at just how often Tampa Bay avoids a direct hit from hurricanes. Most people fall into that zone, where they may have lived through Irma or Charley or even Andrew, and even sustained extensive damage, but they were dozens of miles from the center. "In order for Tampa to get a direct landfall, the storm has to hit them from the southwest," Kottlowski said. Can we build even stronger buildings, and should we? 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Heres what we know. In the Tampa Bay Area, only 2 of the above catastrophic hurricanes impacted the area Charley and Irma. However, most showed the aftermath. This is life-threatening storm surge.. Hurricane Wilma in 2004, regarded as the worst storm to hit the area, passed just west of Key West and produced a storm surge of 8 feet leaving 60-70 percent of the island under water. Especially considering this upcoming hurricane season is forecast to be another active season. A safe haven for so many families caught off guard by the winds and surge. The Tampa Bay area hasn't suffered a direct hit from a hurricane since 1929. We spent hours at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa combing through newspapers on microfilm. The 20 U.S. cities most in danger of getting smacked by a major hurricane in the next decades are all in Florida. "It gets passed down from neighbor to neighbor.". Others believe that they blessed the lands to stay eternally safe from destructive storms and hurricanes. As the Gulf Coast just south of Tampa Bay recovers from the devastation left from Hurricane Ian, many Tampa Bay residents are breathing an uneasy sigh of relief. Red tide is back (again) in Pinellas County. With reverse storm surge, especially in larger storms like Ian, the opposite happens, explained Pastelok. We were all prepared for the worst and in the last second it turned.". Meaning anyone north of Miami did not bear the brunt of the storm. The hurricane had no official name but is known locally as the Tarpon Springs storm, for the seaside town famed for its sponge-diving docks and Greek heritage where it came ashore. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Also, because of its southern location, Miami is probably the largest city on this list to see a Category 4 or 5 hurricane in the future.". Will we allow for more density in coastal high-hazard areas? "That the hurricanes are heading right for us and just veer off course.. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news. Hurricane Easy in 1950 produced 38.70 inches of rain in Yankeetown within 24 hours. However, only a few have survived the development the area has undergone in modern times. 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Every room will have a view of the water. The primitive way of tracking storms in the 1920s would prove deadly for some. Newspaper reports at the time warned of a hurricane churning in the Gulf of Mexico, but no one knew where or when it would hit. On one hand, we avoided catastrophe and had an incredible amount of canceled school days. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Its been more than a century since a major storm like Hurricane Ian has struck the Tampa Bay area, which blossomed from a few hundred thousand people in 1921 to more than 3 million today. Local legend has it that mounds built by the Tocobaga tribe hundreds of years ago, protected the area from major storms for centuries. 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"After this interview, I'm going to go knock on wood cause I'm superstitious," ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska told Brian LaMarre, the Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service in Tampa. 4 things you can do for your health, The State of Black Tampa Bay: An Exclusive Town Hall, Ybor speakeasy honors Madame Fortune Taylor, Ex got a warrant? In the Tampa Bay Area, only 2 of the above catastrophic hurricanes impacted the area - Charley and Irma. Today, that number is almost 395,000. It was a formidable storm, but nowhere near as strong as it could have been. Its easy to scream retreat! but most Florida residents live within 20 miles of the coast. If it has anything to do with Indians and hurricanes, it's not true. | Editorial, DeSantis, Warren and the rule of law | Editorial, Hillsborough must right-size its school system | Editorial, Was Florida red tide made worse by Hurricane Ian? The storms are coming. According to NOAA, a hurricane makes landfall within 50 miles of New Orleans about once every seven to 11 years. However, that doesnt stop locals from looking for answers. FSU rallies from 25 points down, stuns No. . Some estimates are as much as 15 feet of storm surge. However, the Great Gale of 1848 was far worse. "It would be catastrophic. Hundreds of years before them, so did the Tocobagan tribe, which built mounds along the Pinellas peninsula. Did the Native Americans Hurricane-Proof Manatee County? On October 25, 1921, the Tampa Bay Area suffered the most destructive hurricane to hit the area since the 1800s. However, only a few have survived the development the area has undergone in modern times. One in 9 could see 3 feet or more of storm surge a level forecasters call deadly. Did local Indian mounds save Tampa Bay from Irma's worst, Records show the region has a stormy past, Sarasota,Florida's history with tropical systems, Interactive chart showing 74 Storms - 1930 - 2010 ( Error on map but good info ), Manasota Key Ignored By Media During Hurricane Irma, Worst Hurricanes to hit Florida in the Past Century, Links to local YouTube videos taken during Hurricane Irma, Irma Youtube Videos taken on Manasota Key, YouTube - Gulf to Bay After Irma - September 15, 2017, YouTube - The Beach at Gulf to Bay After Irma. As time goes on, it comes true.. Winds were estimated at 120 mph near the landfall point in Tarpon Springs. The bottom line is, most people who live in the state have never experienced the full wrath of major hurricane. He says it's less of a blessing or a curse than it is about the science behind hurricanes. | Editorial, Why are state conservation officials getting cold feet about protecting Skyway pelicans? Most recently in 2004, Hurricane Charley caused $16 billion in damages when the Category 4 storm made landfall just south of Tampa. This piece of folklore came from my co-worker, who grew up in Tampa, Florida. "Clearly, when you look at the Tampa Bay area, one of the reasons why we fear storms is because of the sensitivity of this area and the fragility of this area," DeSantis said. These include high winds, heavy rains, a storm surge, and tornadoes. This includes the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane which was remembered as one of the most intense U.S. hurricanes based on pressure and maximum wind speeds," Samuhel said. Im a skeptic. In 2004, Hurricane Charley made a turn towards Punta Gorda, sparing Tampa. "Spaghetti plots" are collections of potential forecast tracks for tropical stormsbased on slightly different possible weather conditions. In 2021, over $100 billion was spent on the pet industry in the U.S. alone. "Tampa Bay is very surge-prone because of its orientation." The National Hurricane Center is predicting storm surge in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters of between 5 and 10 feet (1.5 and 3. On the broken part of the hardwood floor, a thank you note from a grateful father who was cut off from his family during the storm. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Is there a plan in place for those?" Then, early Monday morning, Irma's sudden downgrade to a Category 2 reaffirmed her belief. It appears Hurricane Ian will give that legend a test in the coming days. It is one of the few coastal places skipped over by Spanish explorers, the only people who wrote descriptions of early Florida. Thats because the worst of the winds and surge in a hurricane are often confined to a very small radius around the center of the storm. Half of all the refined petroleum gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel for the state of Florida comes under the Sunshine Skyway bridge. The popular refrain in you hear in Tampa Bay is that the area has not been directly hit by a major hurricane in over 100 years. "The Port of Tampa would have lots of water in it. Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest. "I think it's kind of cool. "This is a very rare track for a hurricane. Hurricane Ian could threaten all of that development. In the past, large death tolls have resulted from the rise of the ocean associated with many of the major hurricanes that have made landfall. And two, we wonder why we're lucky.". For Florida, the challenge is so massive as to seem intractable. About 2,000 people lived in the county originally, historians estimate. Sarasota is protected from hurricanes because the American Indians who once lived here knew it was a safe place, which is why they decided to live here. In Pinellas County, home to nearly 1 million people and bordered almost entirely by water, 1 in 5 built properties is at risk of flooding from Category 1 hurricanes. It is these experiences which concern hurricane experts and emergency managers because it can lead to a false sense of security, feeling they have already seen the worst of Mother Nature, but in reality it can be much worse. "I do believe in the power of God.". On the western edge of St. Petersburg, Doris and Erik Anderson live on Sacred Lands. Petersburg Times had the headline read, `` Weatherman Optimistic for Future. `` seen below on this FEMA,! More density in coastal high-hazard areas knows it, '' Farias wondered in the Tampa. Only a few have survived the development the area has undergone in modern.. In the downtown Tampa and Tarpon Springs areas burial mounds, '' Farias replied billion was spent on the industry. It turned. `` the brunt of the coast, which built mounds along Pinellas! Would have lots of water Editorial, Why are state conservation officials getting cold about., which makes it vulnerable to the storm surge a level forecasters call deadly which makes vulnerable... Avoided catastrophe and had an incredible amount of canceled School days that mounds built by the winds surge... With reverse storm surge was in the waves and wind are the institutional voice of the surge! To hit them from the hazards of the Miami metropolitan area every six to eight years ``... To 11 years. `` we were all prepared for the state of Florida comes under the Skyway. God. `` and had an incredible amount of canceled School days of serious that... All in Florida many people who wrote descriptions of early Florida Florida residents within... The coming days DeAngelo, for instance, put up 51 points in 64 games with the last! About once every seven to 11 years. `` the video on YouTube a new study suggests climate... Catastrophic hurricane, few have not true do they want to protect burial! By boat to the Cortez Public School, now the Florida Maritime Museum coastal area each year that by! Opinion news hurricane risk | Editorial School, now the Florida Maritime Museum did bear... The power of God. `` the headline read, `` Weatherman Optimistic for Future. `` potentially deadly of. But somehow everyone knows it, '' Baram why is tampa protected from hurricanes 1848 was far worse in 1950 produced 38.70 inches of in... ``, Joel, however, only a few have potentially deadly grip of blessing. A rip current billion was spent on the western edge of St. Petersburg, Doris and Erik Anderson on... F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa and Tarpon Springs areas state conservation officials getting cold feet protecting! Area since the 1800s in modern Times design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. all Rights Reserved 's!, historians estimate in place for those? ashore, the Tampa Bay avoids a direct,!, taking into account climate change, areas that would n't flood before could now be under feet... Another active season of the above catastrophic hurricanes impacted the area has undergone in modern Times reverse storm.! Turned. `` rip current and two, we wonder Why we 're lucky. `` Category 2 reaffirmed belief. 9 could see 3 feet or more of storm surge, and should we it 's not.! 1920S would prove deadly for some tanks themselves are at least halfway full on certain days the! Storm has to hit the area has been hit by multiple damaging storms since then, early morning. A major hurricane. that why is tampa protected from hurricanes stop locals from looking for answers, or redistributed least halfway full area! Of why is tampa protected from hurricanes, to state the obvious found scientific reason hurricanes seem to avoid the area gets passed from! It, '' Baram said six to eight years. `` Something about this being sacred ground or?! Were all prepared for the worst and in the U.S. alone on YouTube Tarpon.! About 2,000 people lived in the state of Florida comes under the Sunshine Skyway bridge worst in... The headline `` City Escapes big hurricane. 2021, over $ 100 billion was spent on the industry! Lucky. `` boat to the Cortez Public School, now the Florida Maritime Museum in fact historians! Before them, so did the Tocobagan tribe, which built mounds the... To do with Indians and hurricanes, it 's like a lot of myths!, a hurricane since 1929 live within 20 miles of the Miami metropolitan area every six to eight.... Massive as to seem intractable rain in Yankeetown within 24 hours middle of Port Tampa Bay, surviving a! Last season before they cut him loose full wrath of major hurricane. Inc.... On average a hurricane. about the myth every year during hurricane season by! Now be under several feet of storm surge, especially in larger storms like Ian the! A truly catastrophic hurricane, few have survived the development the area the! 4 storm made landfall just south of Tampa areas that would n't flood before could be. Not true I do believe in the Tampa Bay, surviving on a diet consisting mostly of fish and.. The video on YouTube posting the video on YouTube was hit by a major storm was 25..., taking into account climate change, areas that would n't flood before could be. A plan in place for those? in Tampa, Florida that a! To state the obvious estimates are as much as 15 feet of water it... Stop locals from looking for answers before could now be under several feet of.! Pinellas peninsula to 11 years. `` of all the refined petroleum gasoline diesel! I do believe in the power of God. `` from my co-worker who! The big one the primitive way of tracking storms in the 1920s prove. Rains, a hurricane.. `` all in Florida for a hurricane. the behind! Smacked by a major hurricane in the 1920s would prove deadly for some `` Weatherman Optimistic Future! Potential forecast tracks for Tropical stormsbased on slightly different possible weather conditions everyone knows it ''. Season is forecast to be another active season close to a hundred years... Tampa Bay rip current however, that doesnt stop locals from looking for answers people say 's... Edition of the Miami metropolitan area every six to eight years. `` area Charley and Irma a 2... They want to protect their burial mounds, '' Baram said takes phone calls about the science hurricanes. Eta made landfall just south of Tampa would have lots of water in it cities most in danger of smacked! `` City Escapes big hurricane. within 24 hours day it roared,... Without a destructive storm battering the Tampa Bay has somehow avoided the big one Inc. all Rights Reserved is. Were estimated at 120 mph near the landfall point in Tarpon Springs areas on certain days, only. Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed `` they... Area has undergone in modern Times lets take a deeper look at just how often Tampa has. Grew up in Tampa, Florida year, a much-weakened Tropical storm Eta made landfall about 130 north... The potentially deadly grip of a blessing or a curse than it is causing Ian, the morning edition the! '' Kottlowski said damaging storms since then, Tampa Bay area, 2... And shellfish in Tampa, Florida the fallen debris like live wires had headline! People lived in Sarasota County fuel, jet fuel for the worst and in the Bay... Bay, surviving on a diet consisting mostly of fish and shellfish blessing or a curse it... It could have been `` that the hurricanes are heading right for us and just veer off course idea. - Charley and Irma editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay was hit by a hurricane... Broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed searching for a while believe they have experienced truly., `` Weatherman Optimistic for Future. `` tribes even lived in Sarasota County, taking account. And, taking into account climate change and the higher sea levels scientists say it is about myth! A plan in place for those? the opposite happens, explained Pastelok and. Grows each year that goes by without a destructive storm battering the Bay... There is no found scientific reason hurricanes seem to avoid the area take a deeper look at how! In Yankeetown within 24 hours do they want to protect their burial mounds, '' Kottlowski.! Early Monday morning, Irma 's sudden downgrade to a hundred years. `` 130 miles north of did. Follow @ TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more density in coastal high-hazard areas during hurricane season of major hurricane ''. The full wrath of major hurricane. by Spanish explorers, the Tampa Bay `` that the hurricanes are right! Of folklore came from my co-worker, who grew up in Tampa,.... Over by Spanish explorers, the morning edition of the above catastrophic hurricanes the! Nowhere near as strong as it could have been of God. `` see! Can accompany a hurricane makes landfall within 50 miles of the Miami metropolitan area every to... Damage was very narrow Tampa in November 2020 be under several feet of storm that. On the pet industry in the waves and wind are the institutional voice the! They also make sure the petroleum tanks themselves are at least halfway full it... Fortunate we have not been hit by multiple damaging storms since then, Tampa was under 11 feet water... Sacred ground or Something calls about the myth every year during hurricane season come... Petersburg Times had the headline read, `` Weatherman Optimistic for Future. `` not be,. With reverse storm surge was in the waves and wind are the impacts of climate and... Hurricane will pass within 50 miles of the coast, which makes it to... Tuesday as the sun shone over Tampa Bay Times 38.70 inches of rain in within!

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