A Hurricane in Tampa Bay Could Surpass Katrina's Destruction

It's been a century since a hurricane larger than category three has scored a direct hit on the Tampa Bay region. If a storm arrives to change that streak of luck, it will find a region severly underprepared to deal with the effects of sea-level rise

1 minute read

August 13, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Tampa Bay Storm

Jason Caunter / Shutterstock

Darryl Fears writes a feature-length article detailing the environmental threat to Tampa Bay: "The area is due for a major hurricane, and it is not prepared. If a big one scores a direct hit, the damage would likely surpass Katrina."

Two reports have sounded the alarm for Tampa Bay. The first, by CoreLogic, "reported that the region would lose $175 billion in a storm the size of Hurricane Katrina." The second, by the World Bank, "called Tampa Bay one of the 10 most at-risk areas on the globe."

The imminent threat is exacerbated by sea-level rise along the region's 700 miles of shoreline. "Yet the bay area — greater Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater — has barely begun to assess the rate of sea-level rise and address its effects," according to Fears.

The Washington Post devoted a host of resources for this feature, supplementing the story with animations and videos to bring home the reality of the threats facing this region.

Friday, July 28, 2017 in The Washington Post

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