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As Tampa Bay residents Get ready for Hurricane Ian many Americans unfamiliar with Florida may be surprised that Tampa Bay is rarely hit directly by hurricanes – in fact, the last time it happened was over a century ago.
The Tampa Bay hurricane of 1921 – also known as the Tarpon Springs hurricane – caused upwards of $10 million in damage (that would be roughly $120 million today) and killed eight people, including children. The 1848 Tampa Bay hurricane was also the only hurricane that made landfall in Tampa Bay.
When the hurricane reached Tarpon Springs on October 25, it would have been rated a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. In addition to sustained winds of 75 miles an hour, a 10.5-foot storm wave was also recorded.
Tampa Bay is Extreme surges are possible because of its geographical makeup – when winds push water into the bay, the water has nowhere else to go than onto the land. A storm surge of 10–12 feet was recorded during the 1921 storm, along with 8.5 inches of rainfall in Tampa.
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After the 1921 Hurricane in Tampa, Florida, there was damage on 5th Avenue as well as 22nd Street.
(State Library and Archives of Florida).
Tampa, which was just 50,000 inhabitants when the hurricane hit in the early 1920s. Florida had experienced interest from investors seeking to develop property, so officials wanted to assure businessmen that Tampa was a safe investment.
“When the storm hits, boosters are going to say, ‘Oh, you know, this was bad but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, it’s not going to happen again,’” Brad Massey from the Tampa Bay History Center told FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
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Pinellas County road damaged and washed-out by the 1921 hurricane.
(State Library and Archives of Florida).
“There’s actually a local weatherman [at the time] who says he’s confident the Tampa Bay area will never be hit by another storm like this. And he tells the press, ‘I’m already rebuilding my home, so I don’t want people to worry about this!’” the Tampa Bay historian explained.
Massey disproved the idea that the region would never be hit again by a hurricane, even though Hurricane Ian was on the radar a year earlier.
After the 1921 hurricane, exterior damage was done to New Port Richey’s church.
(State Library and Archives of Florida).
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“The idea that Tampa Bay isn’t going to get hit by a storm just isn’t true,” he said in 2021.
As Hurricane Ian is likely to impact Tampa Bay, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has warned residents to evacuate. On Tuesday night, two tornadoes were reported in Broward County and Palm Beach County.
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On Tuesday night, the Republican governor declared that you must evacuate immediately. “Now is a good time to act.”
