'Once in a lifetime' 1921 hurricane shows devastation Category 3 storm could have on Tampa Bay

TAMPA, Fla. - 100 years ago, Tampa’s most infamous storm made landfall, packing 120-mile-per-hour winds, a storm surge of 11 feet, and claiming the lives of eight – including children.

"There’s upwards of $2 million in damage, and particularly a lot of personal property damage, there’s a lot of homes that will be damaged," said the Tampa Bay History Center’s Brad Massey.

Bayshore Boulevard brick pavement and sidewalk damaged by hurricane. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

That includes the Bayshore Boulevard home of J. Brown Wallace, one of the signers of Palma Ceia’s charter; a photo shows how the house was pushed off its foundation.

Though the storm made landfall in Tarpon Springs, downtown Tampa saw some of the highest storm surges.

"The problem is, because the eye of the storm lands just north of the bay, the 1921 hurricane is going to sweep all of that water into the bay, and that’s why we have an almost 12-foot storm surge that’s going to flood huge portions of downtown and Bayshore," Massey said.

Damage to the Hays bungalow in Edgewater Park on McKay Bay. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

The storm arrived during the start of the Florida land boom. Massey says people were investing in Tampa, and officials did not want that to stop.

"When the storm hits, boosters are going to say, ‘Oh, you know, this was bad but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, it’s not going to happen again,’" Massey said. "There’s actually a local weatherman who says he’s confident the Tampa Bay area will never be hit by another storm like this. And he tells the press, ‘I’m already rebuilding my home, so I don’t want people to worry about this!’" 

View of Palmetto Beach after 1921 hurricane. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

In Pinellas County, many coastal homes and businesses were flooded. The iconic St. Pete Pier was destroyed.

It was long before we used the Saffir Simpson Wind Scale, which would have deemed it a Category 3.

Wreckage of Safety Harbor Springs pavilion. (Courtesy State Archives of Florida / Florida Memory)

And yes, we haven’t seen a direct hit in 100 years, but Massey says don’t get complacent.

"That doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen," Massey said. "The idea that Tampa Bay isn’t going to get hit by a storm just isn’t true."

Seminole Bridge destroyed by 1921 hurricane. (Courtesy State Archives of Florida / Florida Memory)

Back then, Hillsborough County’s population was 88,000. Today, there are 1.5 million residents.

If Tampa took a direct hit from a hurricane like Irma, which was a Category 5, a University of South Florida study once showed MacDill Air Force Base would get covered in 13 feet of water.

Safety Harbor public school damage. (Courtesy State Archives of Florida / Florida Memory)

Computer models for Pinellas County show a Category 2 storm would put much of Dunedin and Redington Shores underwater.

A Category 3 hurricane would take out 4th Street in St. Petersburg and cover homes near the bay.

County road washed out along Pinellas County coast. (Courtesy State Archives of Florida / Florida Memory)

Nowadays, we have much better technology, devoted emergency operation centers, and evacuation zones to provide warnings and plans to prepare, should a storm like this ever happen again.

But if we did see a repeat of the 1921 storm, it would likely be a multi-billion-dollar disaster to the Tampa Bay region. 

Hurricane damage to boats on the Hillsborough River. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

Ship, Thomas B. Garland, and barge washed ashore by hurricane, showing damage to wharf. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

Hurricane-damaged house in Palmetto Beach. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

Hurricane-damaged ship Thomas B. Garland tossed onto docks Tampa. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

Intersection of Parker and Eagle streets looking south at flooding from hurricane. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

View of hurricane damage to trees, streetcar tracks, and road surface on Bayshore Boulevard after storm. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)

View of steamboat Favorite on land after 1921 hurricane. (Courtesy Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System)