Today, that number is almost 395,000. "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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Due to global warming, global climate models predict hurricanes will likely cause more intense rainfall and have an increased coastal flood risk due to higher storm surge caused by rising seas, Angela Colbert, a scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, wrote in a June report. Elev8 Fun is a family-friendly entertainment concept that is coming to How To Save Money While Preparing for Hurricane Season, Prepare for Hurricane Season: Learn New Hillsborough Evacuation Zones, Ready Pinellas Emergency Planning App Updated for 2022 Hurricane Season, Expect a Competitive Shopping Season, Despite Few Available Homes, Gasparilla International Film Festival Draws Hundreds of Submissions, City Taking Next Steps in Expanding Tampa Riverwalk, New Research Measures the Quality of Work and Life in the Tampa Bay region, Ranked: The Worlds Most and Least Powerful Passports in 2023. Along the coast, storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and property from a hurricane. "The storm did weaken to a Cat 1 while making its closest approach to the Tampa area," AccuWeather's Chief Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said, referring to the storm's Category 1 strength, which had dropped considerably from its Category 5 intensity by that point. Thats a lot of risk, to state the obvious. Thats a lot of rain. Some hold the belief that Sarasota is protected from hurricanes because the Native Americans who first settled there knew that it was safe from the elements. Officials in the area began issuing evacuation orders Monday for a wide swath of Tampa, with the St. Petersburg area soon to follow. 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. Using a Category 5 simulation storm called Hurricane Phoenix, the council projected that downtown Tampa would encounter more than 21 feet of water and could face 2,000 fatalities and up to $250. "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. Just as an example, the city of Tampa had about 51,000 residents in 1920. In 2004 Hurricane Charley made landfall near Punta Gorda, south of the Bay Area. That's not going to drain out quickly," said Cathie Perkins . Or, the ancient American Indian burial grounds scattered throughout the county are keeping the storms at bay. As time goes on, it comes true.. "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. 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Tracking storms in 1921 was primitive. Is Tampa Safe from Hurricanes? Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Technically speaking, Native Americans lived everywhere around the state," said Anne McCudden, executive director of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Red tide is back (again) in Pinellas County. And, taking into account climate change, areas that wouldn't flood before could now be under several feet of water. 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. 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. Hurricane Irma hit Tampa Bay at a Category 1 storm when once forecasted as a Category 5. A myth has grown over the last century that Native American mounds are protecting the Tampa Bay area from major hurricanes. Where would everyone go? Central Florida. The Tampa Bay area is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes because it is located on the Gulf of Mexico. So while we love the memes of a carefree Tampa: Make sure to prepare for every hurricane. Technically, Irma did make a direct hit on part of Tampa in 2017, though it was a bit of a glancing blow from a weakened hurricane. ", Ybor City Tampa Bay, Florida, on Jan. 19, 2019. Want next-level safety, ad-free? The population significantly decreased with the arrival of Europeans (Spanish explorer Pnfilo de Narvez, to be exact) and eventually the tribe was extinct by the 1700s. ", On October 27, 1921, a report in the Tampa Daily Times predicted the 100-year streak of good luck that followed. Those turned out to be false. The area hit the hardest is where the Sparkman Channel and Ybor Channel meet, next to Port Tampa Bay. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. The storm caused at least eight fatalities and mass destruction to the area. "It gets passed down from neighbor to neighbor.". Its unclear why the mounds were built, although many believe they were for burials. With the Atlantic Ocean to the east and a maximum elevation of 42 feet above sea level Miamis geography makes it highly vulnerable to hurricanes. At the history museum along the downtown waterfront, he spent the days before Irma's arrival covering Native American artifacts in plastic and moving items into a vault. When asked about a myth spreading around town, county archaeologist Dan Hughes jumped in: "Let me guess. "The Spaniards called them gentle giants and said they were. "Or would they let a hurricane hit to get even with the Spanish and the white settlers that moved down from the north and took their land? Regardless of luck, hurricane mythology is popular in other places, too. The last time Tampa Bay sustained a direct hit by a hurricane was in October 1921, a full century ago, before hurricanes were given names. "I've heard that one," she said. "I was here for Donna. On Sundays, the park opens for public tours. Nevertheless, with more than 50 percent of the city living below sea level and the rapid sinking of marshy coastal land in southeastern Louisiana, New Orleans still remains highly vulnerable to storm surge during a major hurricane. However, only a few have survived the development the area has undergone in modern times. A view of the site of a 23-foot mound at Sacred Lands in St. Petersburg's Jungle Prada neighborhood. 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.. However, only a few have survived the development the area has undergone in modern times. When Hurricane Isabel struck the region in 2003, the Army Corp of Engineers was forced to fill up an inlet that was created when the storm split Hatteras Island between Frisco and Hatteras, North Carolina. The highest storm surge was in the downtown Tampa and Tarpon Springs areas. Although a major hurricane is long overdue in Miami, the city has dealt with its share of intense hurricanes in the past. For more safety and preparedness tips, visit AccuWeather.com/Ready. According to NOAA, a hurricane makes landfall within 50 miles of New Orleans about once every seven to 11 years. | Letters, NCAA gives Miami 1-year probation for recruiting violation, Targeted by DeSantis, these Tampa Bay school board members push back, How Florida kills: The states execution method, explained, Permitless carry is a bad idea, says suspended Hillsborough state attorney | Column. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. "It would be catastrophic. All the petroleum and liquid chemical tanks have big berms around them that, in theory, would stop any petroleum that might leak out escaping the property. The Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection at the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative contained the most pictures of the storm. One, we are very worried about hurricanes. Gov. Eight people were killed when the storm hit the seaside town with 120 mph winds. This is life-threatening storm surge.. ", Kottlowski said a direct hitoccurs when a hurricane "passes to within a distance equal to the cyclone's radius of maximum wind," which for Hurricane Irma at that stage was 23 miles. The evacuations could affect 300,000 people or more in Hillsborough County alone. Downed power lines in Ybor City, the trolley line washed away along Bayshore Boulevard, flooded homes in Hyde Park, and docks and boats washed ashore along where the current Tampa Riverwalk now runs. Tampa has been undergoing major infrastructure upgrades to protect the vulnerable city from flooding, but as Hurricane Ian barrels toward Florida's west coast, the project is still years from. Tampa Bay is shallow and many low-lying neighborhoods get flooded during a strong rainstorm. The First Street report also showed how climate change will push hurricane force winds farther inland, not just in Florida but in places like Arkansas and Tennessee. Built in 1922, residents are known to line up there to pray. TAMPA, Fla The National Weather Service (NSW) provided preliminary surge and reverse surge measurements Thursday morning in the wake of then-Hurricane Ian. manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Storm surge maps are constantly updated. Cape Hatteras is positioned 280 miles farther east than Palm Beach, Florida, (easternmost location of the Florida coast). 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kevin France, AccuWeather staff writer. Irma's eye was directly in line with Tampa and St. Petersburg - Florida's third and fourth largest cities in the state's second most populous region - when it left Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane. attacks, and spam will not be tolerated. 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. A hundred years of good luck? And with so many new residents moving to the Sunshine State, who have yet to experience a direct hit from a hurricane, emergency managers are concerned residents may not fully understand threat. This map of Cat 3 storms shows only one direct hit on Englewood in 1944 since 1851, Article debunks Indian Legend regarding storm-safety theory, Tampa Bays escape from Irma was more than luck, Sarasota has been safe from hurricanes for years. Oct. 25, 1921 marks 100 years without major a hurricane. 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. Although he did not know much about the history of the Calusa Indians, what he did know was the legend in Tampa that the Calusa Indians cast a spell to keep them safe. But the legend grows each year that goes by without a destructive storm battering the Tampa Bay area. Ive lived here 34 years, and Ive yet to see a hurricane hit us. Can birds tell when a hurricane is coming? A storm surge of up to 11 feet damaged and destroyed many structures along coastal locations from Pasco County south through southwest Florida. Hundreds of years before them, so did the Tocobagan tribe, which built mounds along the Pinellas peninsula. And next week, forecasters are predicting yet another one within striking distance. Tampas Black majority City Council district has 2 candidates. Many of the other cities in the region have experienced similar explosive growth. And two, we wonder why we're lucky.". Or, the American Indians who once lived here blessed this place and made it safe from hurricanes. For centuries, the Tocobaga tribe inhabited the coastline of Tampa Bay, surviving on a diet consisting mostly of fish and shellfish. "But it was still a hurricane and caused lots of damage.". 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. "Port Tampa Bay was also the first U.S. seaport to be named 'Storm Ready' by the National Weather Service when we received the designation. Fox, of Nokomis, who has lived in the area since 1959, shakes her head. Meaning anyone north of Miami did not bear the brunt of the storm. Skyrocketing property insurance rates will change some minds. For Florida, the challenge is so massive as to seem intractable. "I love that story.". VIDEO: Man casually rides jet ski near Sarasota as Hurricane Ian moves in. The mounds were used as temples, homes and burial grounds. 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? Similar to Irma, 2004's Hurricane Charley left many in the area relieved when it navigated away from Tampa Bay as it roared toward land. Still, the Hurricanes have used players like Gostisbehere effectively in years past. Most storms move south to north and south of Tampa is Marco Island," which is where Irma made landfall. Associated Press writer Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee contributed to this story. "Do they want to protect their burial mounds," Farias wondered in the interview. Lisa Parker draws a blank when asked where she heard it, but she knows she did. In this aerial image, the city of Tampa, Fla., is seen Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. Whether Sarasota residents actually believe the American Indian myth depends on whom you ask. The Predators will receive: Jeannot, 25, comes to Tampa Bay as he finishes up a two-year contract that carries an $800K average annual value. 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. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. In that time, they traveled to historical societies, museums, and areas hit the hardest by the storm. Another, to the magic powers of Siesta Key's white sand beaches and underwater crystals. The third strike against the myth: If the American Indians did believe Sarasota was protected, more of them might have lived here. I have no idea. Neighbors rescued them. TAMPA, Fla. Tuesday, October 25, 1921, was the last time Tampa Bay got hit by a major hurricane. Im a skeptic. 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. ", Hughes takes phone calls about the myth every year during hurricane season. "The Mississippi River is almost 30 feet above the city level just to put in perspective of how low New Orleans is in terms of elevation," Samuhel said. "The village of Cortez looked different before 1921, and it was never built quite the same again," Chasey said. "These numbers are not based upon property damage but instead focus on the chances that a hurricane will strike a region based upon factors such as geography and location. But the Director of the National Hurricane Center, Ken Graham, said that our luck is bound to run out at some point and we need to be prepared for that eventuality. The unnamed hurricane of 1921 that some now call the Tarpon Springs Hurricane was a category three hurricane packing winds over 100 miles per hour and a storm surge of 11 feet. However, most showed the aftermath. A family was rushing to higher ground as the storm surge came in. Legends and luck are nice stories when it comes to hurricanes, but at some point Tampa Bay will be hit. 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. Hurricane Gladys in 1968, Hurricane Donna, 1960, Hurricane Easy, 1950, and the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. As a hurricane's winds diminish, so does its ability to cause damage. The area has seen a fair share of damaging winds and storm surge flooding from plenty of tropical storms. Why them? 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Located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Cape Hatteras has a 15 percent chance of feeling the impacts of a hurricane in any given year. Key West, like Miami, has a 16 percent chance of being impacted by a hurricane during any Atlantic hurricane season. Waves from the Bay almost reached the streets of Ybor City. This is vividly illustrated below in category 5 Hurricane Andrew, in which the most intense winds were confined to the eyewall near Homestead, Kendall and Coral Gables, a fair distance south of Miami and very far south of Ft Lauderdale. A safe haven for so many families caught off guard by the winds and surge. "This is a very rare track for a hurricane. The Tampa-St. Petersburg area has an 11 percent chance of feeling the impacts of a hurricane in any given year. The city hasnt suffered a direct hit by a strong hurricane since the 1921 Tampa Bay Hurricane, the first major hurricane to hit the city, but 68 tropical storms and hurricanes have passed within 60 miles of the city according to Hurricane City. Just how vulnerable? "I've had Realtors call and ask if it's true so they can advertise it," he said. As a result, Cape Hatteras has been exposed in the past to hurricanes that move up the Eastern Seaboard. "We know they moved inland during certain seasons. "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. *Those of us in school in Tampa remember it with dread and fondness. One gives credit to nature's fortunate placement of dunes off the coast. Understanding that reality is a key to being adequately prepared this upcoming hurricane season. Hurricane Katrina (2005) is a prime example of the damage and devastation that can be caused by surge. Sept. 27, 2022. "We have plans in place to be able to get out and do that damage assessment right away to do that debris clearance," Perkins said. But the truly catastrophic winds were confined to the southern half of the county. It just never seems to happen, St. Petersburg resident Leonard McCue told the Washington Post in 2017 following Hurricane Irma. "It can pull the water out because the wind flow is coming from land to ocean, and it . "The surge would likely be higher. ", Joel, however, is less skeptical. "That'll be good," LaMarre said. But after wreaking havoc in the Florida Keys, Naples and Miami, Irma weakened and limped to the east of Tampa Bay as a manageable Category 1. Tony DeAngelo , for instance, put up 51 points in 64 games with the club last season before they cut him loose. The Tocobagans' village capital was where Safety Harbor is today, but their mounds, both sacred and burial, are found from the Gandy Bridge along the peninsula to the Gulf Coast.They either wanted to protect their lands, or "they wanted hurricanes to come here and punish us for Spaniards" who arrived here around the 16th century, Farias said. The company Elev8 Fun will open its next location at Citrus Park Mall. CareerSource Pinellas and St. Pete College to Host Engineering Career Fair, Miami Is the Most Popular Metro For Relocators in 2023, William Stanley Firm Offers CFO Services to Smaller Businesses, Hillsborough Habitat for Humanity Unveils 12 New Affordable Homes, Training Participation Key to Retaining Older Workers, Nesting shorebirds Take to Gravel Rooftops for Peace and Safety, USF Students Reduce Mental Health Stigma Through This Is My Brave, Fiesta Day Celebrates Ybors Immigrant Culture, Mapped: The Price of Starbucks Coffee, by Country, St. Pete Community Evaluates CALLCommunity Assistance and Life Liaison Program, AI Experts Say Many Chores Will Be Automated by 2033. Local legend has it that mounds built by the Tocobaga tribe hundreds of years ago, protected the area from major storms for centuries. Tampa Bay has had many close calls since 1921. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Weve made it through another major that was supposed to come right at us. 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. Miami takes the number one spot on this list with a 16 percent chance of experiencing the impacts of a hurricane in any given year. "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. Here are some major hurricanes the past 60 years that have just avoided us: In 2004 alone, there were FOUR hurricanes set to hit the area. A new study warns that hurricanes are getting more dangerous because of climate change. Be ready. There are red flags everywhere: Many of our most densely populated communities are adjacent to the ocean . In fact, historians have no idea which tribes even lived in Sarasota County. According to the NSW, Naples saw a. The Tocobaga people are the land ancestors of Tampa Bay. "It looks a lot better out there from any of the beaches to the south," Heil said. Phil Klotzbach, research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, noted that only one of five hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher has struck Tampa Bay since 1851. (VIAVAL/Getty Images). The grotto at St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church in Key West is probably Florida's most famous source of hurricane lore. A report from the First Street Foundation paints the states grim hurricane future. (DroneBase via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Hurricane Gladys produced 100 mph winds in Clearwater. The previous year, a much-weakened Tropical Storm Eta made landfall about 130 miles north of Tampa in November 2020. But, the note was clear, "my family would be drowned. Since it seems to be working, many people still believe in the legend. The day it roared ashore, the morning edition of the St. Petersburg Times had the headline "City Escapes Big Hurricane." "I told you about that blessing.". The article describing in terrifying detail how a husband lost his wife on Rocky Point: On the other side of the bay in Oldsmar, similar stories of survival. Its almost like when a myth becomes history, Farias said. Areas around Tampa, Jacksonville and the Big Bend do not have as high of a risk of a direct strike from a hurricane but are still susceptible to a landfall each year. This article represents the opinion of the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board. Even so, some of those facts are slow to sink in. "Like Miami, Tampa is a large metropolitan area and the effects of a hurricane would be widespread throughout the city," Samuhel explained. According to Berardelli, hurricanes would have to make the perfect turn to the east in order to make landfall in Tampa Bay, therefore making a direct hit on the region would be somewhat difficult. Many of these people live in low-lying neighborhoods that are highly susceptible to storm surge and flooding they have rarely before experienced, which some experts say could be worsened by the effects of climate change. So storms that emerge out of the Caribbean into the Gulf will often feel this westerly flow and be turned eastward, Storm Team 8s Chief Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli explained. Paluska asked Dr. Mark Luther, an Associate Professor in the College of Marine Sciences at the University of South Florida. Graham referenced the past couple of years hyperactive hurricane seasons and the multiple landfalls in Louisiana, saying that in a different weather pattern, that could have easily been the West Coast of Florida.