Tampa Prepared for Expected Onslaught of Hurricane Milton

Florida’s Third-Largest City Ultimately Spared Direct Hit

By Jonathan Trager

Prior to the expected arrival of Hur-ricane Milton on the coast of central Florida last week, Tampa was bracing itself for devastation.

Before Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the evening of October 9, Visit Tampa Bay was in constant communication with Hillsborough

County and City of Tampa officials. Representatives were involved in meetings with each respective Emergency Operations Center.

“Storm preparation efforts by Hillsborough County, City of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City offi -cials have been comprehensive, and Visit Tampa Bay is proud to have been involved in the process, work-ing with these dedicated people,” said Santiago Corrada, President & CEO of the Visit Tampa Bay, prior to landfall.

The coastal destination saw two cancellations ahead of the hurricane’s arrival—The Southern Gas Associ-ation’s Gas Machinery Conference, which was scheduled for October 7–9, and The Independent Electrical Contractor’s SPARK Electricians Expo, which was scheduled for October 14–17. Visit Tampa Bay has been in contact with both organizations to discuss future options.

In addition, the Destinations Florida Annual Meeting originally scheduled for October 9–11 at the Hotel Haya had been rescheduled for December 4–6 in the same location.

“No matter what work lies ahead once Milton passes, Visit Tampa Bay will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our local officials at the county, our cities, and our more than 900 com-munity partners who call this region home,” Corrada had said. “Together, with a resilient spirit and sense of com-munity, we will remain Tampa Strong.”

Milton ended up making landfall in Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa, which was ultimately spared a direct hit. The forecasted water surge of up to 15 feet on the shores of the densely populated city never  materialized.

Nevertheless, as of USAE press time, at least 14 Floridians had been confirmed dead due to the storm. Of the more than 3 million people who were without power in the af-termath, more than 500,000 were in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, and more than 400,000 were in Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg.