Is Tampa Less Prone To Hurricanes & Storm Surge Flooding?

Yes, Tampa is less prone to hurricanes and storm surge flooding. It has been over a hundred years since a major hurricane struck Tampa Bay. However, in 2023 there was some storm surge flooding from hurricane Idalia which struck north of Tampa Bay.

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A Major Hurricane & The Tampa Bay Area

In 1921 a major hurricane struck the Tampa Bay area. There was no wind scale at that time and the hurricane was unnamed by todays standards. It is often referred to as the Tarpon Springs storm and was most likely a category 3 storm. Life threatening storm surge was a factor and damages were over $2,000,000. Keep in mind that was when two million dollars was a lot more money.

Hurricane Charley A Major Hurricane That Struck Southwest Florida

Hurricane Charley hit Punta Gorda to the south of Tampa Bay on Friday the 13th in 2004. This storm did over 14 billion dollars of damage and the storm surge damage was the greatest cause. Later Hurricane Ian struck Fort Myers Florida which is about 30 minutes to the south. Southwest Florida and South Florida in general has had a rough go of it recently, and historically. Compared to most of Florida, Tampa is less prone to hurricanes.