The Tampa area is one of the greatest weather disasters waiting to happen in the United States according to preparedness officials. The area has not suffered a direct hit by a hurricane since 1944. In the sixty two years since that hurricane, millions of people have moved into the area. On this date two years ago, nearly two million residents were evacuating West Florida in advance of Hurricane Charley.
I did some research on past hurricanes that have affected the Tampa Bay area.
1985 - Elena: Elena drifted east to within 80 miles of Tampa before turning back to the west. Even though the storm never came closer than 80 miles from the coast, it pushed a storm surge into Tampa Bay that rose to seven feet. Significant flooding resulted around the bay area.
1960 - Donna: The last major hurricane to affect the West Coast of Florida directly. Donna passed through the Florida Keys and then curved sharply around to strike the Fort Myers area. At the time of landfall in the Keys, the storm had a central pressure of 930mb and top winds of 140 mph. Donna did not strike the Tampa area directly.
1944 - October Hurricane: This storm made landfall just south of Sarasota on October 19, 1944. It passed up the east side of Tampa Bay. A pressure of 967 millibars was measured at Tampa (28.56 inches.) Interestingly, the tide in Tampa was only 3.1 feet above normal because the winds were actually blowing water out of the way since the hurricane landed east of the bay. Tides at Jacksonville were over 12 feet above normal, all the way on the other side of the state as easterly winds piled water against the East Coast.
1921 - October Hurricane: This storm had a pressure of 975mb (28.81 inches) at Tampa. It passed inland just north of Tampa near Tarpon Springs on October 25, 1921. The lowest barometer reading at Tarpon Springs was 952 millibars (28.12 inches.) It produced a storm surge that was 10.5 feet above normal in Tampa Bay. 1848 - Tampa Hurricane: This hurricane produced the greatest storm surge in the history of the Tampa Bay area. The surge measured 15 feet at Fort Brooke, the predecessor of present day Tampa. The fort was destroyed.
Hurricane Charley: Charley did not strike the Tampa Bay area directly, curving inland over Charlotte Harbor, about 90 miles south of Tampa Bay on Friday afternoon the 13th. The storm intensified rapidly in the three hours before landfall and reached the coast with top winds of 145 mph and a central pressure of 941 millibars, making it a category four storm.
I did some research on past hurricanes that have affected the Tampa Bay area.
1985 - Elena: Elena drifted east to within 80 miles of Tampa before turning back to the west. Even though the storm never came closer than 80 miles from the coast, it pushed a storm surge into Tampa Bay that rose to seven feet. Significant flooding resulted around the bay area.
1960 - Donna: The last major hurricane to affect the West Coast of Florida directly. Donna passed through the Florida Keys and then curved sharply around to strike the Fort Myers area. At the time of landfall in the Keys, the storm had a central pressure of 930mb and top winds of 140 mph. Donna did not strike the Tampa area directly.
1944 - October Hurricane: This storm made landfall just south of Sarasota on October 19, 1944. It passed up the east side of Tampa Bay. A pressure of 967 millibars was measured at Tampa (28.56 inches.) Interestingly, the tide in Tampa was only 3.1 feet above normal because the winds were actually blowing water out of the way since the hurricane landed east of the bay. Tides at Jacksonville were over 12 feet above normal, all the way on the other side of the state as easterly winds piled water against the East Coast.
1921 - October Hurricane: This storm had a pressure of 975mb (28.81 inches) at Tampa. It passed inland just north of Tampa near Tarpon Springs on October 25, 1921. The lowest barometer reading at Tarpon Springs was 952 millibars (28.12 inches.) It produced a storm surge that was 10.5 feet above normal in Tampa Bay. 1848 - Tampa Hurricane: This hurricane produced the greatest storm surge in the history of the Tampa Bay area. The surge measured 15 feet at Fort Brooke, the predecessor of present day Tampa. The fort was destroyed.
Hurricane Charley: Charley did not strike the Tampa Bay area directly, curving inland over Charlotte Harbor, about 90 miles south of Tampa Bay on Friday afternoon the 13th. The storm intensified rapidly in the three hours before landfall and reached the coast with top winds of 145 mph and a central pressure of 941 millibars, making it a category four storm.