The National Weather Service warned in its video presentation on the 1921 storm that, given the scale of urban development in the Tampa Bay area over the years, the impact of another major hurricane event could be catastrophic., Drone footage of bayshore drained #irma #IrmaFlorida #tampa #hurricaneimra pic.twitter.com/w7G71FAX51. Not much has changed since the original Phoenix study. Following Hurricane Ian, we are all working hard to clean up and get back to normal. It will take time for help to reach them, and even more time to stabilize that help for the hard months to come. The intersection of Fifth Avenue N and 34th Street would be the center of St. Pete Island. Limited outdoor activity recommended. "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. Sea-level rise could destroy Tampa Bay if a major hurricane hits Phoenix 2.0 is the latest simulation of what would happen if a Category 5 storm were to make landfall here: flooding, destruction and a decade of rebuilding. "For five days, we were told it was going to be on the east coast, and then 24 hours before it hits, we're now told it's coming up the west coast," said Jeff Beerbohm, a 52-year-old entrepreneur in St. Petersburg. What has changed is the Tampa Bay area itself. [They] could in many cases move five, 10 miles and be in a safe, high zone right in St. Petersburg or in Pinellas County.". September 10, 2017 / 12:38 AM People read with interest in the newspapers up North that the city had survived a major hurricane with little to no damage. Tampa hasn't had a big hurricane in 96 years. That's about to change Im scared for my city, my friends and all the people of Tampa., I honestly don't know what's scarier - the fact #Tampa hasn't been hit directly by a hurricane since 1921 or that #hurricanirma is the. every 1.69 years. After being grounded by Hurricane Ian, an aging sailor struggles to get By moving the likely track a few crucial miles west, the storm would be able to regain strength over water before its deadliest winds hit St. Petersburg and Clearwater, rather than the more populated Tampa. Hypothermia likely without protective clothing. Perhaps most interestingly, though, is that one of fierce storms also ushered in the first land boom in St. Pete; a surprise opposite of what logic might otherwise suggest. "So we're trying to just make folks understand how strong this storm is and how susceptible we are, particularly in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, to a storm that might just sit off our coast for a while.". On Sunday, residents took to social media to post photos and video taken from drones showing that Irma had pulled water from Tampa Bay area waterways, including Hillsborough Bay, which was covered in mud, according to a view from nearby Bayshore Boulevard. Streetcar in New Orleans (Flickr Photo/faungg's photos). Earlier in the day, Gov. "Because Key West is so far from the mainland, evacuating people can be a difficult challenge during a hurricane event.". trend since Hurricane Ian hit in October 2022, when the unemployment rate peaked at 3 . The family survived the storm, but the stability of the lighthouse was likely undermined. State officials say thats how long it could take for help to arrive. "The whole purpose of our mandatory evacuations . is to move those folks from those coastal areas, the beach areas that are most susceptible to flooding, and moving them to a safe location," he explains. Coats and hats are appropriate, consider gloves and a scarf. Irma was weakening but still brought damaging winds to our area into the morning hours of Sept. 11. Copyright 2023 St. Pete Wiki & Matthew Bane, history buff & proprietor of. After landfall, the weakening storm became a tropical storm and moved into Pinellas county, then Pasco. It has been nearly a century since the Tampa Bay area was in the bulls-eye of a major hurricane. According to NOAA, a hurricane makes landfall within 50 miles of New Orleans about once every seven to 11 years. Imagine a Category 5 storm that drowns South Tampa and turns St. Petersburg into an island. The simulation estimates 40 percent of small businesses wouldnt reopen following the storm. "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 hurricane had no official name but is known locally as the Tarpon Springs storm, for the seaside town famed for its sponge-diving docks and Greek heritage where it came ashore. Winds . Tropical storm-force winds currently span up to . Winds were measure in St. Pete at around 75 mph. Based on that measurement, the consensus is that it the storm was either a strong Category 3 or Category 4 storm. Older adults, infants, and those with sensitive medical conditions, should minimize outdoor activity and stay indoors in air conditioning or a well-ventilated area away from direct sun exposure. A history of powerful hurricanes impacting the Tampa Bay area - WTSP But a full scale recovery effort would stall if a major storm wipes out the bridges and other critical roadways, said Hillsborough Countys Metropolitan Planning Organization executive director Beth Alden. PHOTOS: Damage caused by major hurricane from October 1921 It filed plans with the city to build a dome structure on that land called The Dali Dome project, which will feature semi-permanent, traveling exhibits like Van Gogh Alive.. At one point, Irmas winds were 185 mph. Frostbite to exposed skin within 20 seconds. The boat floated ashore in the storm and was initially thought to be badly damaged. The museum already planned to remove the Wish Tree permanently for safety reasons, as it plans to expand its footprint on the northeast portion of its property, St. Pete Catalyst reported. But here are some other hurricanes since 1921 that you may not know about. I honestly dont know whats scarier - the fact #Tampa hasnt been hit directly by a hurricane since 1921 or that #hurricanirma is the, one Twitter user wrote without completing her thought. Not exactly sure what happened here, but it may raise an eyebrow or two even 100 years later. To Welch, one part of the problem is a lack of awareness. If he has to, hell rebuild again. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning Tampa Bay was closed. Caution advised. In Pinellas County, nearly 172,000 people thats about 30 percent of residents were without power early Thursday. If you want power, come to Five Bucks, he said. Light jacket or sweater may be appropriate. People walk out onto what would normally be 4 feet of water in Old Tampa Bay, on Sept. 10, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. Hurricane Irma, which was expected to pummel the area, and an unusual low tide pushed water out of the bay. "We can hide from the wind, but we need to get away from that water in those storm surges.". At Germain Arena not far from Fort Myers, on Florida's southwestern corner, thousands waited in a snaking line for hours to gain a spot in the hockey venue-turned-shelter. The city asks residents to stay off the roads as crews clear any downed power lines and trees and until power can be restored to traffic signals. However, it did substantial damage in Manatee and Sarasota Counties then moved northward into eastern Hillsborough and western Polk Counties as it weakened. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Irma's leading edge brought hurricane-force winds to the Florida Keys late Saturday, bending palm trees and spitting rain as the storm swirled north with 120 mph winds on a projected new track that could expose St. Petersburg - not Miami or even Tampa - to a direct hit. Cedar Key had hurricane-force winds for 9 hours and was in the eye for two hours. Learn More. A similar scene is playing out in Tampa, where mayor Jane Castor told NPR's All Things Considered on Monday night that officials' top concern is evacuating people from the most vulnerable coastal areas. And driving through the city, residents and business owners were busy collecting and removing debris from the storm. Hurricane Ian has sustained wind speeds up to 250km . His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, U.N. envoy says Sudans warring sides agree to negotiate, Yellen says U.S. could hit debt ceiling as soon as June 1, U.S. says 20,000 Russians killed in Ukraine war since December, Speaker Kevin McCarthy addresses Knesset amid fraught U.S.-Israel ties, First Republic: Cheap, interest-only jumbo mortgages to Silicon Valleys elite fueled the banks failure. All told, an estimated 2.5 million Floridians are under evacuation orders as of Tuesday morning, according to DeSantis. As for the lighthouse, a number of unfortunate events and structural problems occurred over the next several years; a lightning strike, an odd freeze, and perhaps other events necessitated the tower be replaced in the 1850s. "Like Miami, Tampa is a large metropolitan area and the effects of a hurricane would be widespread throughout the city," Samuhel explained. After Ike, he said he wouldnt rebuild in Galveston. The city began issuing evacuation orders Monday night, and by Tuesday morning was evacuating three out of the five possible evacuation zones. 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. Not one household or commercial building would have power immediately after the storm. But has the Peninsula always been so lucky? Only a couple hundred-thousand people lived in the area. This storm peaked at Category 4, with winds exceeding 140mph. Its 11-foot storm surge flooded downtown Tampa and turned St. Petersburg into an island. Ian intensified into a major hurricane packing sustained winds of around 125 mph early Tuesday morning just before hitting western Cuba. In the Orlando area, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World all prepared to close Saturday. Phoenix 2.0 echoes the last major hurricane to make landfall in Tampa Bay: The 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane, which came ashore Oct. 25 in Tarpon Springs, just 20 miles north of Phoenixs simulated landfall in Indian Rocks Beach. The edges of the South Tampa peninsula, all of Davis and Harbour islands, the Channel District and the banks of the Hillsborough River would see water 21 feet or higher. Rick Scott warned residents in Florida's evacuation zones, which encompassed a staggering 6.4 million people, or more than 1 in 4 people in the state.