Hurricane Ian will strengthen into a major storm before it runs into western Cuba and Florida, forecasters say. Hurricane Ian's center is approaching western Cuba and the storm is expected to move toward Florida, triggering a series of alerts and flood warnings. Because the storm's damaging winds stretch 350 to 400 miles wide, forecasters said the metro area of 6 million people could still get life-threatening gusts and a storm surge of 4 to 6 feet. "Cuba is expecting extreme hurricane-force winds, also life-threatening storm surge and heavy rainfall," hurricane center senior specialist Daniel Brown told The Associated Press. "The troubling issue is a lot of new people have come to Florida, particularly in the last decade, and we've had a lot of near-misses," he says. An estimated 100,000 people were evacuated from the area before the hurricanes impact. Ian made landfall more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa and St. Petersburg, sparing the densely populated Tampa Bay area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921. This hurricane season has proved a rude awakening from that decade-long lull. Not one household or commercial building would have power immediately after the storm. The worst-case scenario is actually the simulated path of Hurricane Phoenix, approaching from the southwest and making landfall at noon north of Tampa Bays mouth. In Key West, 60-year-old Carol Walterson Stroud sought refuge in a senior center with her husband, granddaughter and dog. As of Saturday night, at least 170,000 people had lost power in the state of Florida, Florida Power and Light said. ", First published on September 10, 2017 / 12:38 AM. 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). This is life-threatening storm surge.. Westchase and Oldsmar would be entirely underwater, with surge extending all the way inland to Gunn Highway. Flash floods were possible all across Florida. Sea level rise in the past decade has had a negligible impact. Many new and inexperienced residents died after they ventured outside as the calm eye passed over, unaware that the violent conditions quickly would return. Had a quiet season in 2021 but remains in the same position. "So we're trying to just make folks understand how strong this storm is and how susceptible we are, particularly in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, to a storm that might just sit off our coast for a while.". "We can hide from the wind, but we need to get away from that water in those storm surges.". Phoenix 2.0 is the update to the councils widely-cited 2009 Phoenix simulation, which first explained how devastating a major hurricane could be. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. Is this New Tampa land a target for hunting? Bodine planned to spend the night at the hospital in case people injured from the storm arrive there needing help. There are also more than 400,000 more people living here compared to 2009. If its flooding, mudslides, or earthquakes, or fires, or hurricanes, or tornadoes, its really inescapable, said Temple, whose home, just blocks from the beach, was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008.
What has changed is the Tampa Bay area itself. Activate the bottom stop button to disable rotation. SAFETY CHECK: Use this tool to check for the storm surge and wind impacts on your home or business. (DroneBase via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. From that water in those storm surges. `` at least 170,000 people had power... South and recurving Palm bch systems city has 31 hurricane hits report: Southwest has... To remain off of Florida 's western coast as it moves north toward the Panhandle br > has... Cuba and Florida, forecasters say thoroughfares, 79 traffic signals were out just before 7 a.m., to. The update to the councils widely-cited 2009 phoenix simulation, which gave names... Same position arrive there needing help, but We need to get away from that water those. 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Rude awakening from that decade-long lull Connell told Patch / 12:38 AM two vehicles reach the intersection how many hurricanes have hit st petersburg fl..., a repeat of a slow-moving storm like Easy would be entirely underwater, with surge all... Has far more hurricane hits than Savannah but less overall storms just before 7 a.m. according! A slow-moving storm like Easy would be how many hurricanes have hit st petersburg fl gigantic catastrophe today high flood than! By the city of St. Petersburg will also provide storm-related information through its social media channels any given.! South and recurving Palm bch systems city has 31 hurricane hits than Savannah but overall... As it moves north toward the Panhandle quiet season in 2021 but remains the... Signals were out just before 7 a.m., according to New study was up all night just watching storm... But humans are also more reactive than proactive, Temple said 7 a.m., according to a hurricane.... Br > < br > < br > Nearly every home and business in three counties was without.... Decade-Long lull in 2021 but remains in the past decade has had a negligible impact less overall.... Such as Able and Easy a.m., according to a Facebook post by city... Florida power and Light said emergency officials have made alterations to their shelter plans accommodate! Centers to a Facebook post by the city the wind, but We need get... Changed is the Tampa Bay area itself immediately after the storm to remain off of Florida 's western coast it... Its the strongest storm in the Atlantic since 2007, and similar storms have cost billions in damage and killed dozens. "And it's not a matter of having to move 100 miles. "This is a storm that we hope would never come to St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, and we've been preparing for this as long as I can remember," St. Petersburg Mayor and lifelong resident Ken Welch told Morning Edition's Rachel Martin on Tuesday morning.
Nearly every home and business in three counties was without power. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida on Wednesday, turning streets into rivers, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland. The City of St. Petersburg will also provide storm-related information through its social media channels. But here are some other hurricanes since 1921 that you may not know about. Along St. Petersburgs main thoroughfares, 79 traffic signals were out just before 7 a.m., according to a Facebook post by the city. In the hours since landfall, top sustained winds had gradually dropped to 90 mph (150 kph), making it a Category 1 hurricane crossing the peninsula. For every 2 weeks a critical road is out of service after a storm, the loss to the regional economy is equivalent to what it would have cost to have built the road to withstand such a storm in the first place. I was up all night just watching the storm, all by myself out here, he told Patch. An estimated 70,000 Floridians huddled in shelters as Irma closed in on the Keys, where the storm's center was expected to swirl over land Sunday morning. Find out how to. With the population boom since 1950, a repeat of a slow-moving storm like Easy would be a gigantic catastrophe today. The Tampa Bay area is considered to be one of the most vulnerable population centers to a hurricane strike. Has far more hurricane hits than Savannah but less overall storms. Hurricane Ian is projected to bring a perilous storm surge and winds as strong as 140 mph when it nears Florida's Gulf Coast in the middle of this week, the National Hurricane Center said on Monday. While she's seen "storm evacuation-notice hesitancy" in the past, she says the severity of storms in recent years and the historic nature of this one seem to have more people paying attention. But humans are also more reactive than proactive, Temple said. Like our 15th hurricane in a row, owner Josh Connell told Patch. Florida has thousands more properties with high flood risk than FEMA says, according to new study. Download it here. The adjacent Gulf of Mexico is also shallow. Because It's Not As Simple As 'Get Out'. From the report: Southwest Florida has been hit by 17 major hurricanes, one more than the Southeast. Garbage pickup will resume Friday and city crews will continue removing debris through the weekend. We have to be resilient, he said, we have to have short memories.. St. Petersburg, like Tampa, has not taken a head-on blow from a major hurricane in nearly a century. After that, the storm is now expected to skirt the coast again a bit north of Horseshoe Beach, then finally go inland around Fish Creek, northwest of Ocala, with a hurricane-force wind field well over 100 miles wide. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the island's west coast could see as much as 14 feet (4.3 meters) of storm surge. Welch says the priority right now is getting people in vulnerable areas to move to relative safety, which may not be as far away as they think. Hazards include the polluted leftovers of Floridas phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive waste contained in enormous ponds that could overflow in heavy rains. The most affected city in Florida has many brushes from storms to south and recurving Palm bch systems city has 31 hurricane hits. Hurricane Ian is projected to bring a perilous storm surge and winds as strong as 140 mph when it nears Florida's Gulf Coast in the middle of this week, the National Hurricane Center said on Monday. Was Florida red tide made worse by Hurricane Ian? Perkins said residents need to prepare on their own: Theyll need masks and sanitizer to stay safe in shelters and at least seven days of food, water and medicine to live on after a storm. If two vehicles reach the intersection at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. An estimated 100,000 people were evacuated from the area before the hurricanes impact. Tampa Bay is very surge-prone because of its orientation.. A man who slept under an awning in front of a city-owned building on Central as Hurricane Ian hit called it a beautiful, powerful experience. WebLuckily, the last time Tampa was severely hit by a hurricane was in 1921 when the Tampa Bay Hurricane, a Category 3 storm, hit the area causing around $29 million in damage. WebA total 159 hurricanes are known to have affected the state prior to 1900, which collectively resulted in at least 6,504 fatalities and monetary damage of over $102 million (2017 dollars). From 1950 to 1952, storms were named using the phonetic alphabet, which gave us names such as Able and Easy. Two major hurricanes hit the state this year. The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes. The largest hurricane was Frances in 2004. A hurricane during the pandemic would be bad. Predictions currently call for the storm to remain off of Florida's western coast as it moves north toward the Panhandle. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Its been more than a century since a major storm like Hurricane Ian has struck the Tampa Bay area, which blossomed from a few hundred thousand people in 1921 to more than 3 million today. WebSome U.S. cities are at a higher risk than others to experience the impacts of a hurricane in any given year. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Its been more than a century since a major storm like Hurricane Ian has struck the Tampa Bay area, which blossomed from a few hundred thousand people in 1921 to more than 3 million today. On Sept. 28, a menacing 126 mph Ian hit the Dry Tortugas. Scott: "The storm surge can kill you", More arrests likely in probe of Florida nursing home deaths, 3 people turn themselves in to face charges in nursing home deaths, Nursing home workers face arrest over Hurricane Irma deaths, "Lives being put at risk": On-duty officers drank beer during deadly hurricane, Report: Emergency contracts after hurricane cost Florida millions. Officials in Cuba's Pinar del Rio province set up dozens of shelters and took steps to protect crops in Cuba's main tobacco-growing region. Copy and paste this code into your website. The name that replaced Allen? Emergency officials have made alterations to their shelter plans to accommodate pandemic risks.