How many of you really BELEIVE?

[bucman1]

As we approach the new season I continually here people in the St.Pete /Tampa area say"we are protected from storms do to the angle of the coast or we have a protected bubble etc..-

I find that all a bunch of ****.I believe if the man upstairs says you will be hit you will be hit!!!

Is their any proof to feel otherwise?

Tell me how you feel about this.

Craig

[JonathanBelles]

Nobody is protected. Ther is a myth called the Tampa Bay bubble. It sees that then a front or quall line comes through, It breaks apart and goes around Tampa Bay. Charley also reaffirmed this. I dont believe it, but It has happened numerous times. We will get hit sooner or later.

[badashley]

Many folks in the Savannah area say the same thing...."hurricanes don't hit here." It only takes one, and I think people here have a false sense of security. Only time will tell, but as for me, I'll choose to prepare and not take my chances.

[Tropigal]

I hear alot of people say the same thing about the Tampa Bay area. It's kinda sad, because I don't think they will prepare with any storm heading this way.

[gatorcane]

On the surface we may say that it is strange how the Tampa Bay area has missed countless storms and hurricanes over the past half century. But You have to go all the way back to 1921 for the last time the Tampa Bay area was hit by anything signicant. Clearly there is no bubble. Tampa Bay geographically is less vulnerable than areas to the south. Statistically many more tropical systems pass from a line from Ft. Myers to Port St. Lucie on the east coast and points south.

The Charley setup was unusual for August. In August we typically don't see short waves affecting the West Coast of Florida. Typically though, October is Tampa Bay's month for getting majors as short waves become more pronounced but yet the waters and ULL environment in the GOM is still favorable.

Tampa Bay will be hit at some point but it could be this year 10 years or another 100 years. Nobody knows just be prepared.

[decgirl66]

I think I heard once the same thing about the Coco Beach area....that there was something to do with the floor of the ocean off the coast which makes it less likely to have a landfall...things that make you say hmmmm...

[SouthFloridawx]

One big sign around here in the Tampa area, that they are not prepared for a storm is basically this:

I lived in Palm Beach county for almost 5 years and every year lot's of people trimmed thier trees...

Up here I see hardly no one doing that, that basically people in the tampa region are not thinking about it, because of complaicency.

[gatorcane]

there is definitely complacency in the Tampa Bay area...Wilma took alot of the dense tree canopies with her, before that it was far lusher here in Palm Beach County.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Tampa Bay Hurricanes:
1848- Category 2-4
1921- Category 2-3
1940s- Hurricane conditions as storms pass to east
1960s- Agnes Hurricane Conditions
2004- Hurricane Jeanne brief hurricane conditions

[Downdraft]

They used to say tornados won't strike metropolitan areas of a city too. Oaklawn Chicago and more recently Oklahoma City found this out to be myth. Brownsville to Bangor the odds are the same year after year. If the front does this, if the trough does that if the jet moves up or the jet moves down when conditions are right nobody is safe.

[ncupsscweather]

I am with

bucman1

I believe if it is ment for a area to get hit, it is going to happen no matter what... I too have heard people say that St. Pete / Tampa are protected...

[Stratusxpeye]

Living in the Tampa Bay area i hear this alot. I do belive that there is history that Tampa Bay is unlikely to be hit dead on by anything major. The charley scare last year EDIT: Ha 2 1/2 years, really made ppl in my area upset, as most had fled to central and southwest florida and by time they got there charley was smashing them head on instead of there homes where it was calm and dry. And this will make them more than likely be skeptical and not leave until it is too close or even too late. If it's going to happen it'll happen, but I do belive it will be some time before it does.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Living in the Tampa Bay area i hear this alot. I do belive that there is history that Tampa Bay is unlikely to be hit dead on by anything major. The charley scare last year really made ppl in my area upset, as most had fled to central and southwest florida and by time they got there charley was smashing them head on instead of there homes where it was calm and dry. And this will make them more than likely be skeptical and not leave until it is too close or even too late. If it's going to happen it'll happen, but I do belive it will be some time before it does.

last year? lol. Try 3 years ago.

I can see why you would make that mistake though. With the active 2005 season almost seeming to merge with the active 2004 season and then that all being followed by a quiet 2006 season..it does only feel like it was a year ago. Time sure does fly!

[Stratusxpeye]

Wow your right. I really though it was. Been 2 1/2 years already. That was the first 3 months i lived in my new house. I was ready to say goodbye to it after a couple months but a front saved us now been there almost 3 years.

[bucman1]

The funny(actually not really funny) thing is so many people think they have been through a hurricane in 2004/2005 in the

Tampa area when Jeanne/Frances Exited the West Coast of Florida with 50/60 mph.

They have no clue what 75/95 etc SUSTAINED wins are really like.

[boca]

Maybe the Tampa area would trim down their trees if they experienced Wilma up there instead of S FL people wouldn't be so complacent.

[CajunMama]

Maybe the Tampa area would trim down their trees if they experienced Wilma up there instead of S FL people wouldn't be so complacent.

Boca, you bring up a good point about the trimming of trees. Untrimmed trees caused the most damage and power outages here from Lili. People don't realize the damage all those trees can cause.

[jaxfladude]

I believe that Jacksonville, Florida is 100% Hurricane proof!!!
I have lived in this city since 1983, and not have not seen any affects from any Tropical Systems....

[Aslkahuna]

Dora-1964.

Steve

[Dionne]

We don't have to worry about trimming our trees anymore. Our home in Hattiesburg was surrounded by beautiful old growth long leaf (loblolly) pines. They fell. One tree remains, a live Oak.....and it still looks like a skeleton.

We look at it this way.....none of the USM students that hunkered down in that home were seriously injured. Somebody was watching over them.