Hurricanes are very common in Florida.
However, a major hurricane has not hit Tampa Bay in over one hundred years.
A major hurricane hit southwest Florida in October 1921 sending the coastal waters to a height of about 11 feet.
According to the National Weather Service, this hurricane led to the death of about eight people, caused massive damage, and flooded parts of downtown Tampa.
On October 25, the Tampa/Tarpon Springs Hurricane made landfall with winds of about 120 miles per hour.
Based on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, this velocity would have made it a Category 3 storm.
Is Tampa safe from hurricanes?
No.
There was a time Tampa was regarded as a free-hurricane zone, but not any longer.
Since 1848, the most destructive storm to ever hit the Tampa area is the 1921 storm.
It was so strong that it caused damage to coastal structures which were miles away from Pasco County south through southwest Florida and even destroyed ships smashing them against docks after pulling them off their moorings.
About half of these deaths which were caused by this storm were as a result of drowning by extra water which was pushed into the shore and the other deaths were caused by hazards of fallen debris like live wires.
Although a major hurricane has not directly hit Tampa Bay in over 100 years, Tampa Bay residents still remain uneasy as the Gulf Coast which is just South of Tampa Bay are still pulling through the damage caused by Hurricane Ian
Why do hurricanes avoid Tampa?
The answer is simple!
Firstly, the city geography has made it easier to move around due to the beach’s shallow seflour.
Therefore, you should know when to visit Tampa.
But planning for storms in Tampa is challenging because the city’s geography — beaches that slope into a shallow seafloor — makes it especially vulnerable to storm surges.
Some of the city’s urban areas also sit in areas that were ravaged by the 1921 storm, according to the Weather Service
How many times has Tampa been hit by a hurricane?
Tampa has been hit by one hurricane that affected the city.
For example, Tampa suffered a 1921 hurricane that killed at least eight persons.
The hurricane affected Tampa and caused flooding and widespread destruction.
The 1921 Tarpon Springs hurricane or Tampa Bay hurricane, was a significant hurricane that affected the country.
Compared to other places in the country, Tampa Bay region is still very vulnerable to a storm surge
Lucky Ohio
Tampa Bay has been fortunate to not have a major hurricane attack in over 100 years.
Many people call it luck but locals are still searching for answers.
Some of the locals here believe that the tribe blessed the mounds for protection from hurricanes as well as other hazards.
However, the validity of this statement has not been confirmed.
The tendency of storms hitting the Gulf Coast drastically increases in the months of September.
In October, the likelihood increases even more as it is the second half of the hurricane season where cooler air moves south and jet stream winds that blow from east to west move along with storm systems.
Tocobaga folklore
The land ancestors of Tampa Bay are called the Tocobaga people.
These people resided in the area from around 900 to the 1500s.
With the arrival of Europeans, there was a significant decline in their population and the tribe eventually became extinct in the 1700s
The Tocobaga people are the land ancestors of Tampa Bay.
They lived in the area from around 900 to 1500s.
The population significantly decreased with the arrival of Europeans (Spanish explorer Pánfilo de Narváez, to be exact) and eventually the tribe was extinct by the 1700s.
In Safety Harbor and near the Gandy, To Ibadan Indian Mounds have been discovered.
The reason why these mounds were built is still unknown but many people believe that they were made for burials.
Regardless, the story passed from one Tampa resident to another is that those mounds were built to provide protection from hurricanes.
Does Tampa FL get hit with hurricanes?
Yes, hurricanes have affected the west coast of Florida and this also includes the city of Tampa.
The Tampa-St Petersburg area has an 11% chance of receiving the impacts from a hurricane in the region.
Scientifically, there is no actual reason why hurricanes do not affect the area.
The scientific community has, over the years, observed this strange pattern.
In the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, a research scientist named Phil Klotzbach observed that only one of five hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher have hit Tampa Bay since 1851.
Since that time, Tampa Bay has not been hit by another major hurricane.
Below are some of the major hurricanes which have managed to avoid Tampa Bay in the past 60 years:
Gladys 1968:
With two deaths recorded, Gladys made landfall near Homosassa damaging 6.
7 million.
The hurricane was then absorbed by a cold front and moved all the way to Nova Scotia.
Elena 1985:
Elena was an unpredictable hurricane which caused severe damage to the Apalachicola Bay shellfish industry.
Erin 1995:
Since Hurricane Andrew occurred in 1993, Erin was the first hurricane to strike the United States.
It caused an overall damage totalling about $700 million with a good percentage of the damage occurring in Florida.
Gordon 2000:
Gordon led to the death of many individuals and damage in Guatemala and the Yucatán Peninsula.
It caused very minor damage in Tampa Bay
Irma 2017:
Lasting a long time, Irma caused widespread and catastrophic damage especially in the northeastern Caribbean as well as in Florida Keys.
Frances 2004:
Three weeks after Hurricane Charley, Frances passed over central sections of Florida, causing damage to the citrus crops in the state
Notably, there were about four hurricanes set to hit the area in 2004.
Meanwhile, if you are coming to Tampa, you should know that the area is more prone to storms than anywhere in the United States.
Finally, you can visit Tampa because it is a safe haven during hurricanes.
However, you should be careful and learn how to protect yourself because you never know when another hurricane can hit Tampa.
