Is Tampa In Hurricane Alley?

Yes, I would say that Tampa is in Hurricane Alley. However Tampa Florida does not experience nearly as many hurricanes as the eastern coast of Florida. In fact Minneola (to the east of Tampa) experiences the fewest hurricanes in all of Florida.

Tampa Florida

Hurricane Alley is a very large area which extends from Africa to Florida and the Carolinas. When a hurricane forms and travels to Florida it must pass over all of Florida before affecting Tampa. However, in some cases the hurricane will form in to west or southwest and then possibly have a greater impact on the Tampa Bay area.

Storm Surge Flooding

There are many homes in Tampa that are 100 years old. Hurricanes have been around for a really long time, yet those homes still stand. Not to mention newer homes are built far superior since 2002 when the Florida building codes were revised. The true threat when and if a intense hurricanes strike Tampa Bay is storm surge. Dues to the amount of shoreline and the possibility for huge storm surges definitely exist.

Tampa Bay

What My Family Does

We stay home unless the storm is a category 3 or higher. I call those intense hurricanes and a threat. My home will take very high winds as it is concrete and has a standing seam metal roof. My dock was recently destroyed by a hurricane but my home was left unscathed.

Evacuation Plans

I have some advise for you. Plan your possible evacuation early. Hotel rooms to the north will be very hard to find available. Also the traffic northward will be terrible as you get closer to the hurricane's impact. I once found myself staying during a hurricane that was very severe when I lived on the gulf coast in the Florida Panhandle. Huge storm surges forced boats into the city I lived in as we took a direct hit. I was longing for Central Florida. Thankfully most of the time Tampa seems to see tropical storms and afternoon showers. Thanks for asking, is Tampa in Hurricane Alley.