There are many well-known factors that make it unlikely that the Tampa area will be directly affected by a major hurricane in any given year. If you want to stay as protected as possible from hurricanes, but still want to take advantage of the benefits of being a Florida citizen, interior Florida, near the northern border of Georgia, is the best place to live. It is the least hurricane-prone area in Florida. Almost inexplicably, the storms seem to bypass Tampa, and most of the Gulf disturbances pass far north of the city.
More than 1200 truckloads of debris have been removed from Pinellas County's barrier islands, and efforts to remove debris in the Tampa Bay region will continue until it's no longer safe. The governor of the National Hurricane Center forecasts storm surge in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters 8 to 12 feet (2.5 to 3 meters) above normal tide conditions, and rainfall of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) due to Hurricane Milton. While Floridians are no stranger to storms, Tampa hasn't been in the direct path of a major hurricane in more than a century. Since this area is not located directly on the Atlantic coast or the Gulf of Florida, they do not usually receive direct impacts in the form of winds of more than 120 miles per hour.
Last week, Hurricane Helene, which made landfall about 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle, still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges between 5 and 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 meters) above normal tide levels. Universal Property & Casualty Insurance is here to help you with your home insurance needs so you're covered and protected before, during and after the hurricanes that hit Florida. Located directly in the Gulf of Mexico, which has much warmer waters than those of the Atlantic Ocean, southwest Florida is linked to its southern counterpart on the east coast as the second most hurricane-prone area in Florida. While many people may think that Southeast Florida is the most hurricane-prone area in the state, this is not the case. Lowlands, together with shallow waters and the wide, sloping continental shelf off the west coast, could cause dangerous flooding due to storm surges, Florida hurricane researchers tell NPR.
In addition, a slight wobble of the Earth to the north when it touches land could still cover the Tampa area, something that had not happened in more than 100 years. Surprisingly, or perhaps not at all surprising, to some people, Northwest Florida, located in the Panhandle, is the most hurricane-prone area in Florida. Kerry Emanuel, professor of meteorology at MIT, said that a hurricane in Tampa is the “worst possible scenario” that worries experts for years. The crescent shape of Tampa Bay, which is 400 square miles, and the intensity and trajectory of the hurricane also affect the intensity of the storm surge, according to Maitane Olabarrieta, professor of coastal oceanography at the University of Florida and associate director of the university's Center for Coastal Solutions.
Mandatory evacuations along Florida's west coast are under way as Hurricane Milton approaches the state and could make landfall as one of the most devastating hurricanes to hit the area in more than a century.
