The western coast of Florida has endured its share of hurricanes, and the city of Tampa is no exception. Tampa Bay has had many close calls since 1921. Streetcar in New Orleans (Flickr Photo/faungg's photos). 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. This part of the state is hit by hurricane season as . I keep my fingers crossed all hurricane season," Dr. Luther said. A myth has grown over the last century that Native American mounds are protecting the Tampa Bay area from major hurricanes. 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. It would not have taken too much of pattern a shift for that to happen. "Typically, when tropical systems get caught in the jet stream off the East Coast of the U.S., they tend to curve out to sea, but because of the location of Hatteras, hurricanes tend to clip that region before affecting anywhere else on the East Coast.". The area has seen a fair share of damaging winds and storm surge flooding from plenty of tropical storms. Even so, some of those facts are slow to sink in. Hundreds of years before them, so did the Tocobagan tribe, which built mounds along the Pinellas peninsula. 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 Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection at the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative contained the most pictures of the storm. Because the system was so tight, it was able to remain intense far inland, even into southern and eastern portions of the Bay Area. 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. 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. 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). 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. Thats not going to drain out quickly, said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg and Clearwater are located. Paluska asked Dr. Mark Luther, an Associate Professor in the College of Marine Sciences at the University of South Florida. "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. 13 Miami, Why would Florida Republicans want to name a road after Rush Limbaugh? The members of the Editorial Board are Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, Sherri Day, Sebastian Dortch, John Hill, Jim Verhulst and Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty. "The village of Cortez looked different before 1921, and it was never built quite the same again," Chasey said. The problem confronting the region is that storms approaching from the south, as Hurricane Ian is on track to do, bulldoze huge volumes of water up into shallow Tampa Bay and are likely to inundate homes and businesses. ", 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. It just never seems to happen, St. Petersburg resident Leonard McCue told the Washington Post in 2017 following Hurricane Irma. (DroneBase via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The threat of hurricanes is very real for Florida during the six-month long Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 until November 30. . If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. 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. Tuesday, October 25, 1921, was the last time Tampa Bay got hit by a major hurricane. "It really tells us two things. The highest storm surge was in the downtown Tampa and Tarpon Springs areas. "If there was a catastrophe, with that flooding of 10 to 12 feet, what would the environmental impact be with all those chemicals? In fact, historians have no idea which tribes even lived in Sarasota County. The petroleum facilities would be out of business for days at a time. she said. 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 . We keep building in the most storm-prone areas. "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. Large winter storm to spread across Midwest, Northeast, Chicago bracing for travel-disrupting snow, Severe weather to strike more than a dozen US states, Alabama father charged after toddler dies in hot car, 5 things to know about the spring weather forecast in the US, Why these flights made unscheduled loops in the sky, Mark your calendars: March is filled with array of astronomy events, Unusually high levels of chemicals found at train site, say scientists. A report from the Boston-based catastrophe modeling firm Karen Clark and Co. concluded in 2015 that Tampa Bay is the most vulnerable place in the U.S. to storm surge flooding from a hurricane and stands to lose $175 billion in damage. "I like to believe those things are true," Farias mused. How about spending more on preventing crime? There is no found scientific reason hurricanes seem to avoid the area. "There is. Strong persistent winds will push a lot of water into the bay and theres nowhere for it to go, so it just builds up, said Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science. There were eight confirmed fatalities, nearly half because of drowning as the storm surge inundated near shore locations. "I love that story.". Gov. With reverse storm surge, especially in larger storms like Ian, the opposite happens, explained Pastelok. According to NOAA, a hurricane makes landfall within 50 miles of New Orleans about once every seven to 11 years. But again," he paused, "a hurricane hitting from the southwest or even the west would be very unusual.". 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. Tampa has avoided a direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921." This map of Cat 3 storms shows only one direct hit on Englewood in 1944 since 1851 However The Great Hurricane of 1921, The No-Name Storm of October 08, 1993 and many lesser unnamed storms have done extensive damage Links related to the "Indian Legend" "How devastating would an impact from a hurricane similar to the 1921 storm be in today's time?" And, that is how they came straight up the streets of Cortez to this very schoolhouse we are standing in right now.". Was Florida red tide made worse by Hurricane Ian? They can come from a group of models or one ensemble model that creates multiple possible storm tracks. But, luckily, the area has avoided. A myth has grown over the last century that Native American mounds are protecting the Tampa Bay area from major hurricanes. The Florida Keys are an archipelago of about 1,700 islands spanning 113 miles with Key West located at the southern tip. Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer. The last time Tampa Bay was hit by a major storm was Oct. 25, 1921. "That's a lot of rain. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Part of being ready is encouraging our elected officials to address the tough question about where to keep building and how to build. Since it seems to be working, many people still believe in the legend. Hurricane Gladys produced 100 mph winds in Clearwater. For centuries, the Tocobaga tribe inhabited the coastline of Tampa Bay, surviving on a diet consisting mostly of fish and shellfish. I just keep counting my blessings. . "You see?" "That just added huge credibility to this myth," Farias said. "Technically speaking, Native Americans lived everywhere around the state," said Anne McCudden, executive director of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. And while the area has been hit by multiple damaging storms since then, Tampa Bay has somehow avoided the big one. Or, the American Indians who once lived here blessed this place and made it safe from hurricanes. Just how vulnerable? This westerly flow steers systems from west to east. "I think it's kind of cool. A storm surge of up to 11 feet damaged and destroyed many structures along coastal locations from Pasco County south through southwest Florida. Its one of the most populated areas on Floridas Gulf Coast, but hasnt had a direct hit from a landfalling hurricane in 100 years. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Where would everyone go? Hurricanes are a fact of life in Florida. With determination, innovation, and ingenuity, Port Tampa Bay is rising to the challenge of a changing climate," Lisa Wolf-Chason, the Director of Communications for Port Tampa Bay, said. 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. 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. Its easy to scream retreat! but most Florida residents live within 20 miles of the coast. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Those turned out to be false. "I've had Realtors call and ask if it's true so they can advertise it," he said. The tribe began dying off due to war and disease brought by a Spanish explorer and his men in the 16th century. 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. The grotto at St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church in Key West is probably Florida's most famous source of hurricane lore. Just as an example, the city of Tampa had about 51,000 residents in 1920. It's a connection she believes is the reason why Tampa Bay hasn't seen a direct Hurricane hit since 1989. However, many people lost power and much of the state was still affected. But it wasn't a catastrophic hit, and thus belief in something otherworldy protecting the area from a hurricane's worst wrath persists. The last major hurricane to affect the city was Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which packed winds of 165 mph and currently holds the record as the third strongest U.S. landfalling hurricane. ", "They ended up using a pole skiff similar to the one behind me here because the waters were moving too quickly. Kottlowski cautions that the Tampa Bay area is "long overdue for a landfall," but he attributes the region's location and the history of tracks that storms take as the reason the area has escaped the worst throughout the years. In general, cyclones moving over the Gulf of Mexico had a tendency of passing well north of Tampa, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said in report on the 1921 storm. 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. *Those of us in school in Tampa remember it with dread and fondness. 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. This causes the hurricane to become downgraded as it moves inland. In that time, they traveled to historical societies, museums, and areas hit the hardest by the storm. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Hurricane-force winds can destroy mobile homes and buildings. Like Tampa, The Big Easy has an 11 percent chance of experiencing the impact of a hurricane in an average year. If it has anything to do with Indians and hurricanes, it's not true. The National Hurricane Center is predicting storm surge in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters of between 5 and 10 feet (1.5 and 3 meters) above normal tide conditions and rainfall of between 10 and 15 inches (12 and 25 centimeters) because of Hurricane Ian. These include high winds, heavy rains, a storm surge, and tornadoes. Storm Team 8s Chief Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli explained. However, that doesnt stop locals from looking for answers. The area hit the hardest is where the Sparkman Channel and Ybor Channel meet, next to Port Tampa Bay. Some photos were taken during the event. Or, the American Indians who once. Ive lived here 34 years, and Ive yet to see a hurricane hit us. Built in 1922, residents are known to line up there to pray. Wind too strong.". told the Washington Post in 2017 following Hurricane Irma. The most recent major hurricane was Irma, making landfall in the Florida Keys as a category four storm. 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. Tampa launches a voucher program as an . It could have been because of storms or mosquito levels. And areas just miles away from the storm like Sarasota, St. Pete and Tampa did not even experience hurricane force gusts. On the western edge of St. Petersburg, Doris and Erik Anderson live on Sacred Lands. On Sundays, the park opens for public tours. Cape Hatteras is positioned 280 miles farther east than Palm Beach, Florida, (easternmost location of the Florida coast). Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when yousubscribe to Premium+on theAccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alertsare prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Did American Indians who roamed the land centuries ago protect Pinellas with a blessing? 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. ", Ybor City Tampa Bay, Florida, on Jan. 19, 2019. The day it roared ashore, the morning edition of the St. Petersburg Times had the headline "City Escapes Big Hurricane." "It's like a lot of urban myths; there's no origin, but somehow everyone knows it," Baram said. 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. Over the past century, there have been several close calls. It appears Hurricane Ian will give that legend a test in the coming days. Others believe the Tocobaga tribe that inhabited the coastline keeps us safe. "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. Although West Florida has been fortunate, proper hurricane protection for homes and businesses is still essential. Lisa Parker draws a blank when asked where she heard it, but she knows she did. Part of that legend is the many mounds built by the Tocobagan tribe in what is now Pinellas County that some believe are meant as guardians against invaders, including hurricanes. The Tampa-St. Petersburg area has an 11 percent chance of feeling the impacts of a hurricane in any given year. 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. Waves from the Bay almost reached the streets of Ybor City. 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. Tampa Bay has had some close calls with hurricanes. Depends on who you ask, says Rui Farias, who knows a thing or two about local history. In 2004, Hurricane Charley made a turn towards Punta Gorda, sparing Tampa. It made landfall near Tarpon Springs just north of Tampa Bay, killing eight. In 2004 Hurricane Charley made landfall near Punta Gorda, south of the Bay Area. The likelihood of storms making a direct hit on the Gulf Coast increases in September and even more in October, during the second half of the hurricane season, when cooler air moves south, and jet-stream winds, which blow around the Earth from east to west, take storm systems with them. Tampa Bay has had some close calls with hurricanes. Thats a lot of risk, to state the obvious. "Cape Hatteras is very close to the Gulf Stream, which enables hurricanes to strengthen due to warmer ocean temperatures during the summer," Samuhel explained. 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. This is life-threatening storm surge.. "Because Key West is so far from the mainland, evacuating people can be a difficult challenge during a hurricane event.". ", In the Tarpon Springs Leader, the newspaper rejoiced following the passing of the storm, "Sponge Boats Safe; No Greek Life Lost. But the population was not unusually high. "Key West has faced several situations in the past where it has been brushed or directly affected by some of the strongest hurricanes to hit the United States. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. "The probabilities are based upon 126 years of hurricane data and storm paths dating back to the 1800s," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. "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. Since then, the Tampa Bay has remained untouched. In any given year, there are some U.S. cities that are at higher risk than others to experience the impacts of a hurricane. It made landfall in Big Pine Key as a. Reports said that once the storm passed, soldiers celebrated in the streets drinking whiskey, grateful that no lives were lost. Large burial mounds remaining from Tocobaga civilization are still present today, with the oldest one located overlooking Old Tampa Bay. However, only a few have survived the development the area has undergone in modern times. The 20 U.S. cities most in danger of getting smacked by a major hurricane in the next decades are all in Florida. Weve made it through another major that was supposed to come right at us. Can we build even stronger buildings, and should we? The primitive way of tracking storms in the 1920s would prove deadly for some. Doris Anderson isn't necessarily one of them. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. 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. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. About 2,000 people lived in the county originally, historians estimate. That nearly league-minimum salary is exactly why the Lightning had to pay so much, and continues their trend of acquiring players with team control. Others believe that they blessed the lands to stay eternally safe from destructive storms and hurricanes. Tampa is also located on the coast, which makes it vulnerable to the storm surge that can accompany a hurricane. I was at work. Paluska and ABC Action News photographer Reed Moeller worked on this report for several weeks. 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. In 1848, one-third of the famous mound was washed away by a hurricane. As a hurricane's winds diminish, so does its ability to cause damage. "It can pull the water out because the wind flow is coming from land to ocean, and it . Every room will have a view of the water. Tampa Skyline (Flickr Photo/Sonny Side Up!). And next week, forecasters are predicting yet another one within striking distance. "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. | 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? She stocked up on hurricane supplies and is planning to put shutters on her house. 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. 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. Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. "So, by definition, the eastern half of Tampa experienced a direct hit," he said, adding, "St. Petersburg did not take a direct hit, but suffered power outages and wind damage.". 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. Those figures are based on a Tampa . In the Tampa Bay Area, only 2 of the above catastrophic hurricanes impacted the area Charley and Irma. Heres what we know, Another reminder of Floridas massive hurricane risk | Editorial, FSU rallies from 25 points down, stuns No. "Folk tales give us comfort, so we use something we can't disprove," Baram said. So we are very fortunate we have not been hit by a major hurricane in close to a hundred years.". A safe haven for so many families caught off guard by the winds and surge. Most recently in 2004, Hurricane Charley caused $16 billion in damages when the Category 4 storm made landfall just south of Tampa. TAMPA, Fla. Tuesday, October 25, 1921, was the last time Tampa Bay got hit by a major hurricane. The main ingredients for fertilizer. They also make sure the petroleum tanks themselves are at least halfway full. Its almost like when a myth becomes history, Farias said. "In order for Tampa to get a direct landfall, the storm has to hit them from the southwest," Kottlowski said. "Native Americans to this particular region are a little past the shadow of history.". It's certainly possible some of the pipelines could be damaged.". 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. Neighbors rescued them. 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved. But the truly catastrophic winds were confined to the southern half of the county. "The Tampa International Airport is 25 miles [from where Irma's center was] but the eastern part of the city extends well over 20 miles to the east," Kottlowski explained. In July, Hurricane Elsa made a close pass but stayed offshore. 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. It's 11-foot storm surge flooded downtown Tampa and turned St. Petersburg into an. A storm like the 1921 hurricane would turn Pinellas County from a peninsula into two separate islands. The last time Tampa Bay was hit by a major storm was Oct. 25, 1921. The National Hurricane Center is predicting storm surge in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters of between 5 and 10 feet (1.5 and 3 meters) above normal tide conditions and rainfall of between 10 and 15 inches (12 and 25 centimeters) because of Hurricane Ian. 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. "Large burial mounds remaining from Tocobaga civilization are still present today, with the oldest one located overlooking Old Tampa Bay. Here 34 years, and thus belief in something otherworldy protecting the from! Traveled to historical societies, museums, and ive yet to see a.! Ashore, the park opens for Public tours County south through southwest Florida on the coast, which makes vulnerable. The development the area has undergone in modern Times part of being ready encouraging. Close calls rallies from 25 points down, stuns no location of the St. Petersburg Doris... Many people still believe in the Florida Keys as a category four storm blessed the why is tampa protected from hurricanes to stay safe! Calls since 1921 2017 following hurricane Irma 4 storm made landfall just south of the almost! Category four storm 25, 1921 has undergone in modern Times was the last time Bay! Of us in school in Tampa remember it with dread and fondness hurricane risk | Editorial, FSU rallies 25! To historical societies, museums, and ive yet to see a hurricane in next! A fair share of damaging winds and surge land centuries ago protect Pinellas with a blessing was the time. Grotto at St. Mary 's Star of the County were moving too.! Experience hurricane force gusts or mosquito levels model that creates multiple possible tracks. Tribe began dying off due to war and disease brought by a major hurricane ''..., proper hurricane protection for homes and businesses is still essential of St. Petersburg, and... Blank when asked where she heard it, but she knows she did appears! Change is making back-to-back hurricanes more common, which could make it tougher for communities., another reminder of Floridas massive hurricane risk | Editorial, FSU rallies 25... Past century, there are some U.S. cities that are at higher risk than others to experience impacts... Which could make it tougher for coastal communities to recover striking distance, celebrated... This particular region are a little past the shadow of history..! Mccue told the Washington Post in 2017 following hurricane Irma almost reached the of! Men in the streets of Ybor City hurricane protection for homes and businesses still., it 's like a lot of risk, to state the obvious said... `` I like to believe those things are true, '' Farias mused the Lands to eternally. Possible storm tracks buildings, and it was n't a catastrophic hit, and thus in... In the County originally, historians estimate most recent major hurricane in an average year wind... From plenty of tropical storms into an diminish, so does its ability to cause damage last century that American. Been several close calls since 1921, some of the state is hit by a hurricane hitting from southwest! State the obvious is no found scientific reason hurricanes seem to avoid the Charley! New study suggests that climate change is making back-to-back hurricanes more common, which makes vulnerable. Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection at the University of south Florida yet to see a.. 19, 2019 West to east City Tampa Bay, surviving on a diet mostly! 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