What would happen if the hurricane of 1921 hit Florida today?

A century ago, the Tampa Bay Hurricane of 1921 made landfall in Tarpon Springs as a Category 3. Now, the population has grown by nearly 3 million people, and the trajectory from the hurricane is now considered a worst-case scenario.

A storm of that strength, with a similar 10.5-foot storm surge, would put most coastal buildings underwater up to the second floor. The region’s airports would be underwater. Tampa General Hospital, the only Level-1 trauma center on Florida’s west coast, would be flooded. Transportation would come to a halt as Pinellas County became a temporary island.

– Janelle Irwin Taylor, Extensive Enterprises