Tampa very vulnerable to hurricanes

November 10, 10:39 AMTampa Weather ExaminerAndrea Butera

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AP Photo/Alan Diaz

Tampa and St. Petersburg are on a new top 10 list. But, it’s not something to be proud of.

The two largely-populated Bay area cities round out the International Hurricane Research Center’s (IHRC) “Top 10 Most Vulnerable Cities” list. (See link below for full list.)

Florida actually dominated the list, with four places making an appearance (Lake Okeechobee, Florida Keys, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa/St. Petersburg).  But, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise, since the state is surrounded by water on three sides.

The IHRC used 12 criteria to figure out which U.S. mainland areas are most vulnerable to hurricanes.

It looked at hurricane frequency, levee/dike failure, the potential for storm surge, flooding and beach erosion, as well as the number of people at risk. That’s just to name a few.

Not surprisingly, New Orleans took the number one spot.

Tampa-St. Pete hasn‘t seen a direct hit since 1921. So, why did it make the list?

To put it simply: our location.

“Much of the Tampa-St. Pete region is under 20 feet of elevation. A major hurricane would create a large storm surge with large waves on top of that,” Meteorologist Rich Johnson, formerly of The Weather Channel, said.  He also runs the website TropicalWeather.net.

Johnson also said that would be especially true, if a major hurricane approached the Bay area from the southwest and made landfall near Treasure Island or Clearwater.

We were given a break with Tropical Storm Ida. But, don’t let the quiet 2009 Atlantic hurricane season lull you into a false sense of security. It’s only a matter of time before Tampa feels the brunt of nature’s fury.

“Have a plan of action before hurricane season,” Johnson said. “Know where to go, in case of an emergency. Know what supplies you may need.” (You can start by checking out Johnson’s “Preseason Preparedness” page.)

Tropical Storm Ida made landfall along Dauphin Island, Ala. early Tuesday morning, with maximum sustained winds up near 45 miles per hour.

Related Links:
International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC)
IHRC’s Top 10 “Most Vulnerable” Cities
Tropical Weather Message Boards