All of these hurricanes would have had devastating impacts on Tampa Bay but veered off course and missed. The city has since made drastic improvements to its levee system since Katrina left most of the city under several feet of water. In those villages, the tribe would build mounds made of layers of shells and sand. On certain days, the park opens for public tours. 4 things you can do for your health, The State of Black Tampa Bay: An Exclusive Town Hall, Ybor speakeasy honors Madame Fortune Taylor, Ex got a warrant? A hundred years of good luck? Only a couple hundred-thousand people lived in the area. 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. "Folk tales give us comfort, so we use something we can't disprove," Baram said. Fox, of Nokomis, who has lived in the area since 1959, shakes her head. About 40% of it goes into the facilities at Port Tampa Bay.". In a St. Petersburg Times article printed on October 27, 1921, the headline read "Tragic Death Attends Gale.". manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. In any given year, there are some U.S. cities that are at higher risk than others to experience the impacts of a hurricane. However, most showed the aftermath. It's certainly possible some of the pipelines could be damaged.". The oldest remaining one is located near Old Tampa Bay. But it was damaged to varying degrees by hurricanes in 1926, 1944 and 1950, as well as Donna in 1960 and Charley in 2004. "I was here for Donna. 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. Oct. 25, 1921 marks 100 years without major a hurricane. The western coast of Florida has endured its share of hurricanes, and the city of Tampa is no exception. But again," he paused, "a hurricane hitting from the southwest or even the west would be very unusual.". Central Florida includes the Orlando, Daytona, and Jacksonville areas. Tampa Bay didn't come out of the storm largely unscathed because of Native American rituals and a Caribbean land configuration that amounts to a blockade against hurricanes, scientists said.. Everything underwater, massive flooding," Dr. Luther said. Gov. "I've heard that one," she said. "In order for Tampa to get a direct landfall, the storm has to hit them from the southwest," Kottlowski said. I don't buy it.". And with so many new residents moving to the Sunshine State, who have yet to experience a direct hit from a hurricane, emergency managers are concerned residents may not fully understand threat. A storm surge of up to 11 feet damaged and destroyed many structures along coastal locations from Pasco County south through southwest Florida. Tampa launches a voucher program as an . 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. A safe haven for so many families caught off guard by the winds and surge. Many people think the mounds could be providing supernatural protection from hurricanes. A myth has grown over the last century that Native American mounds are protecting the Tampa Bay area from major hurricanes. And it could be bad. It may sound hard to believe, but Florida has only seen 4 landfalling category 4 or greater storms in the past 50 years. Many of the other cities in the region have experienced similar explosive growth. 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. "That's a lot of rain. Since it seems to be working, many people still believe in the legend. Dr. Luther said there are also chemicals for the phosphate industry and refined ammonium stored at the port. "It would be catastrophic. 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. It appears Hurricane Ian will give that legend a test in the coming days. Tampa Skyline (Flickr Photo/Sonny Side Up!). 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. Over the past 173 years, Tampa Bay has only been hit by two major hurricanes. As a hurricane's winds diminish, so does its ability to cause damage. Its one of the most populated areas on Floridas Gulf Coast, but hasnt had a direct hit from a landfalling hurricane in 100 years. But the population was not unusually high. For more safety and preparedness tips, visit AccuWeather.com/Ready. Over the past century, there have been several close calls. Why here? VIDEO: Man casually rides jet ski near Sarasota as Hurricane Ian moves in. 4 things you can do for your health, The State of Black Tampa Bay: An Exclusive Town Hall, Ybor speakeasy honors Madame Fortune Taylor, Ex got a warrant? It's 11-foot storm surge flooded downtown Tampa and turned St. Petersburg into an. 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. In 2017, Hurricane Irma appeared to be headed straight into the Gulf of Mexico toward the St. Petersburg and Tampa area, before it turned into Marco Island instead, 146 miles south of St. Petersburg and Tampa, allowing the area to largely avoid a catastrophic direct strike. Depends on who you ask, says Rui Farias, who knows a thing or two about local history. In Tampa, 1 in 9 could see flooding from Category 1 storms. Turn them in to HCSO Valentines. "Thank goodness for the Tocobagans is all I have to say.". Eight people were killed when the storm hit the seaside town with 120 mph. Jeannot will be a restricted free agent this summer and . 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. While railroad stocks dominated in the 19th century, industries within technology A new 92-room waterfront hotel is scheduled to open this summer on Tampa Bay. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. "The land around New Orleans is sinking, which puts the city in more danger if another major hurricane strike.". After the infamous Tarpon Springs hurricane, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said in a report on the 1921 storm: In general, cyclones moving over the Gulf of Mexico had a tendency of passing well north of Tampa. 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. "If you look at our original floors that I'm standing on right now, you can see where there are rusted nails and that kind of thing from floods over the years," Chasey said. Some locals claim the tribe blessed the mounds for protection from hurricanes and other hazards, but we have yet to confirm the validity of their story. The petroleum facilities would be out of business for days at a time. Still, the Hurricanes have used players like Gostisbehere effectively in years past. Or, the ancient American Indian burial grounds scattered throughout the county are keeping the storms at bay. In July, Hurricane Elsa made a close pass but stayed offshore. Nevertheless it managed to produce extensive damage and power outages. As the Gulf Coast just south of Tampa Bay recovers from the devastation left from Hurricane Ian, many Tampa Bay residents are breathing an uneasy sigh of relief. A myth has grown over the last century that Native American mounds are protecting the Tampa Bay area from major hurricanes. "But I don't know.". "Their value, however, is that, in the short term, they usually show a 'path' of likely tracks for tropical storms, giving residents of those areas within the path more time to prepare.". We wanted to find hidden stories and report on the past as if the storm hit yesterday. ", 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 could have been because of storms or mosquito levels. 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 last time Tampa Bay was hit by a major storm was Oct. 25, 1921. Thats a lot of risk, to state the obvious. 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" There is no found scientific reason hurricanes seem to avoid the area. We havent done enough to fortify coastal areas against sea-level rise. Where to find fish fries in Tampa Bay during Lent, Two FL beaches make Tripadvisors best of the best, Worlds largest bounce house coming to Tampa, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This westerly flow steers systems from west to east. It was a formidable storm, but nowhere near as strong as it could have been. told the Washington Post in 2017 following Hurricane Irma. Hurricane-force winds can destroy mobile homes and buildings. Meaning anyone north of Miami did not bear the brunt of the storm. In this aerial image, the city of Tampa, Fla., is seen Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. 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). That has been our story for nearly a hundred years now," Rui Farias, executive director of the St. Petersburg Museum of History, told AccuWeather. The Tampa Bay History Center is built on top of the fort's infirmary. Local legend has it that mounds built by the Tocobaga tribe hundreds of years ago, protected the area from major storms for centuries. I just keep counting my blessings. But, two major hurricanes in 173 years are still two too many. 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