Or is there a supernatural force protecting us? Over the past 173 years, Tampa Bay has only been hit by two major hurricanes. "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. "So there could be some scenarios where we do see, at least during the times of the highest storm surge, that there is a separation between the two areas of the county," Director of the Pinellas County EOC Cathie Perkins said. "Could it be people from the past protecting the present?" By Thats a lot of rain. 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. Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest. But the truly catastrophic winds were confined to the southern half of the county. In fact, our coastal location, topography, and large population make us significantly vulnerable to a wide array of hazards, including hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and sinkholes. Thats all the more reason for people and places to get prepared. 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. Those numbers also go a long way to explaining why it would be naive to expect property insurance rates in Floridas coastal counties to tumble anytime soon. The evacuations could affect 300,000 people or more in Hillsborough County alone. "The probabilities are based upon 126 years of hurricane data and storm paths dating back to the 1800s," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. 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. The main ingredients for fertilizer. According to Tampa Historical, an interactive web exhibit created and maintained by students and faculty at the University of South Florida; the storm was dubbed the "Granddaddy" of all hurricanes: Fort Brooke was a small military outpost located in the heart of where modern-day downtown Tampa now sits. Storm survivor Ethel Swanson was 7-years-old when the storm hit. 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Some photos were taken during the event. And next week, forecasters are predicting yet another one within striking distance. 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. | 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. "We know they moved inland during certain seasons. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. According to NOAA, a hurricane makes landfall within 50 miles of New Orleans about once every seven to 11 years. Unfortunately, where the hurricane of 1921 hit just north of Tampa Bay was a worst-case scenario. Amid all the science, a local legend has it that blessings from Native Americans who once called the region home have largely protected it from major storms for centuries. Officials in the area began issuing evacuation orders Monday for a wide swath of Tampa, with the St. Petersburg area soon to follow. Did American Indians who roamed the land centuries ago protect Pinellas with a blessing? "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. The petroleum facilities would be out of business for days at a time. Even still, a slight irritation in the throat is something he and . The adjacent Gulf of Mexico is also shallow. The Tampa Bay area hasn't suffered a direct hit from a hurricane since 1929. The City of Oldsmar posting the video on YouTube. Gov. "It would be catastrophic. It would not have taken too much of pattern a shift for that to happen. Paluska asked Dr. Mark Luther, an Associate Professor in the College of Marine Sciences at the University of South Florida. "That'll be good," LaMarre said. Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer. 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. In the case of Charley Desoto, Hardee and Polk counties all experienced winds gusts well over 100 mph, causing catastrophic damage. Nevertheless it managed to produce extensive damage and power outages. 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. In Tampa, 1 in 9 could see flooding from Category 1 storms. Half of all the refined petroleum gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel for the state of Florida comes under the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Hurricane Ian was growing stronger as it barreled toward Cuba on a track to hit Florida's west coast as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday. What are those large pyramids next to the Skyway? TAMPA, Fla. Tuesday, October 25, 1921, was the last time Tampa Bay got hit by a major hurricane. The tribe lived in small villages between what is now Safety Harbor and the Gandy area, from 900 to the 1500s, but died out from disease and violence from Spanish settlers in the 17th century, according to Pinellas Countys website. In addition to this, a majority of the population resides within 20 miles of the coastline increasing the risk of high property damage. In any given year, there are some U.S. cities that are at higher risk than others to experience the impacts of a hurricane. 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved. And a twist. Flooding and wind damage from hurricanes is getting more common in the United States, and that trend will accelerate and threaten millions of people as the Earth gets hotter according to new research. At least eight people died and damage was estimated at $5 million at the time. Associated Press writer Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee contributed to this story. Im convinced that geographically were incapable of being hit with a storm. If there is an extra high tide, 18-20 feet higher than normal tidal level. The company Elev8 Fun will open its next location at Citrus Park Mall. Hurricane Irma hit Tampa Bay at a Category 1 storm when once forecasted as a Category 5. For a century, the Tampa Bay area in Florida has been largely void of any direct landfalling hurricane strikes -- and some locals believe the reason can be chalked up to a supernatural force. Most recently in 2004, Hurricane Charley caused $16 billion in damages when the Category 4 storm made landfall just south of Tampa. 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. "Native Americans to this particular region are a little past the shadow of history.". "I feel like being here," Anderson said. There's a 23-foot mound here at Sacred Lands in the Jungle Prada neighborhood, south of Park Street N and 22nd Avenue N. The Anderson family has owned the property since the 1940s and lived in a private residence, 13-feet above sea level behind the mound, since 1953. Jeannot will be a restricted free agent this summer and . There were several reports that Key West was destroyed. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. And affordable property insurance could be added to the endangered species list. In that time, they traveled to historical societies, museums, and areas hit the hardest by the storm. Like Tampa, The Big Easy has an 11 percent chance of experiencing the impact of a hurricane in an average year. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news. I keep my fingers crossed all hurricane season," Dr. Luther said. But many still believe the blessing protects us. Not since the Tarpon Springs hurricane struck the region in 1921 has Tampa Bay been directly hit by a major storm. It was a formidable storm, but nowhere near as strong as it could have been. The day it roared ashore, the morning edition of the St. Petersburg Times had the headline "City Escapes Big Hurricane." McNoldy, the University of Miami researcher, noted that Hurricane Andrews storm surge today would be 7 inches (17 centimeters) higher than it was when that storm pounded South Florida 30 years ago. How to avoid the potentially deadly grip of a rip current. "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.". However, that doesnt stop locals from looking for answers. 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. One of the nation's largest fully excavated native burial grounds, at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey, offers few additional clues, only that people lived in the area as early as 3,000 B.C. About 2,000 people lived in the county originally, historians estimate. Did American Indians who roamed the land centuries ago protect Pinellas with a blessing? "A lot of people say it's the Indian mounds," Farias replied. "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. 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