TAMPA, Fla. — It’s that time of the year again, Hurricane Season! Coming off of a tough 2024 season that had 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five of those reaching major status, the Tampa Bay community has been forever changed. The biggest impacts to our area were Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
Hurricane Debby brought an impressive amount of rainfall, as well as flooding, to the Tampa Bay area. Some of the highest rainfall totals were in Myakka City (21.70"), Parrish (18.86"), Lakewood Ranch (16.56") and Pinellas Park (14.04"). This led to historic flooding of the Manatee River, with a record crest of 20.1 feet at Rye Bridge, producing major flooding. The Alafia River and Little Manatee River in Hillsborough County also saw major flooding.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Perry, Fla. on September 26th, with winds of 140 mph at its peak. This was the strongest storm to ever make landfall along the Big Bend coast of Florida. Even though it didn’t make landfall in the Tampa Bay area, it still brought six to eight feet of storm surge in some areas that caused a lot of flooding and damage to our coastline. After the storm had passed, many residents of the barrier islands were shocked at the amount of sand that was brought in and deposited in the streets and in homes.
Just two weeks after Helene, Hurricane Milton would bring heavy rainfall, damaging winds and some strong tornadoes throughout southeastern Florida. Milton would become one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Basin, reaching Category 5 intensity in the Gulf on October 7th with winds peaking at 180 mph. Two days later, Milton would make landfall on October 9th at 8:30 p.m. as a Category 3 storm with winds of 115mph.
Milton hit so close to Helene that it wrecked many communities that were already struggling to recover. The winds were so strong, they even ripped the roof off of Tropicana Field. The skeleton of the roof can still be seen today, as the city is still working to repair it. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) estimates that Milton caused $34.3 billion in damage in the United States, almost exclusively in Florida.
2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season (June 1 - Nov. 30)
2025 Hurricane Season Forecast
As we begin to prepare for the upcoming season, it's good to have an idea on what we could be dealing with. Earlier this year, Colorado State University released their yearly forecast and they are expecting 17 named storms, 9 of those storms becoming hurricanes and 4 of those reaching major hurricane intensity (Category 3+).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their outlook on May 22nd. They are calling for an above normal season this year with 13-19 named storms, 6-10 becoming hurricanes and 3-5 reaching Category 3+.
And while a lot of the Bay area is still recovering from last year, we are here to help get you ready. Now is the time to get prepared for anything that may come our way this year.
Plan ahead and stock up
Now is a great time to create your hurricane kit or stock up one you may already have. You don't want to wait for a storm to get a name because all eyes will be on the tropics. As the storm approaches, store shelves could empty. So, it’s best to buy everything you’ll need — and want — to have on hand way ahead of time. You don’t want to be caught trying to stock up last minute.
Here's a list of all the basics:
Supply Kit Checklist
- Flashlights and extra bulbs
- Battery-operated radio
- Battery-operated lanterns
- Extra batteries (various sizes)
- Wind-up or battery-powered clock
- Matches
- First aid kit
- Duct tape
- Rain gear
- Plastic garbage bags
- Fire extinguisher
- Scissors
- Can opener
- Clean clothes
- Extra blankets and pillows
- Heavy gloves
- Food
- Bottled water (one gallon/person/day)
- Two coolers (one for drinks, one for food)
- Canned foods
- Bottled juice
- Dry pet food
Parrish family invests in new equipment and techniques to prevent flooding this year
Some residents who are in a low flood risk areas, or maybe not in a flood zone at all, had major flooding problems last year.
We spoke to a Manatee County resident who is installing pumps on his property to move the water out and prevent issues in the future. Heavy lifting is part of Bradley Anderson’s new plan.
In this case, he’s creating a drainage path by moving dirt. Read the full story...
Elevating your home to protect against flooding and comply with FEMA rules
So many of our neighbors are still trying to repair or rebuild their homes from last year. For those who have substantial damage, it's even tougher with FEMA offering only three choices: Demolish and rebuild, relocate all together or elevate. This has left thousands of bay area homeowners and businesses in a difficult, costly situation, especially if they choose to remain in their neighborhoods.
Communities are required to comply with floodplain management regulations to continue participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, which means substantially damaged properties must be relocated, demolished and rebuilt, or elevated to meet or exceed FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation.
With a substantial damage determination of nearly 75%, Gulfport resident and business owner Barbara Banno is finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel after deciding to elevate her hurricane-damaged home. Read the full story...
Storm Surge Explained
When it comes to hurricanes, they are usually rated by their sustained wind speed. But, water is the number 1 reason why people die during tropical cyclones and that could be from storm surge, flooding or high surf.
Spectrum Bay News 9 Meteorologist Kyle Hanson explains storm surge:
Evacuating from the storm: Two Pasco County women's stories of survival during Hurricane Helene
As a storm approaches the Tampa Bay area, you may be asked to evacuate. The threat of storm surge is why our coastline communities are asked to leave. Hurricane Helene caused storm surge that trapped people in their homes. In Crystal River, emergency officials performed several water rescues the morning after the storm passed. That's why it is important to listen to officials when evacuation orders are given. We spoke with two Pasco County residents and they explained why they will always heed the warnings. Read the full story...
Flood Zone Vs. Evacuation Zone
It's important to know if your home is in a Flood Zone or an Evacuation Zone. A Flood Zone indicates a property's risk for flooding from rain. But, Evacuation Zones are mapped by local emergency managers to identify areas that could be affected by storm surge.
To learn if you're in an evacuation zone, type your address in the map below:
Re-Entry Permits
In Pinellas County, when barrier island residents and business owners evacuate, they must have a permit to re-enter evacuated areas after the storm.
In Manatee County, this year, Longboat Key is implementing a new re-entry program. The center of Hurricane Milton's eye passed just miles south of Longboat Key. Fortunately, many people evacuated, but police say returning to the island after the storm wasn't a smooth process. There will now be three levels of re-entry.
- TIER 1: Emergency responders - Don't need a decal
- TIER 2: Green Decal for relief workers, health care workers and those who play a role in recovery (Insurance agents, businesses like Ace Hardware)
- TIER 3: Red Decal for other business owners and residents
All info, one place: Manatee County tries new hurricane approach
Since the Tampa Bay area has experienced significant impacts from two major hurricanes, a lot of residents are preparing differently for this upcoming season. We got with Manatee County Emergency officials to talk with them on how they are preparing and what they learned last year and how they upgraded the work flow to respond more efficiently. Read the full story...
Following NOAA cuts, voluntary retirements, retired chief meteorologist Says NWS Tampa is prepared
Every Floridian knows the value of good weather forecasting. This hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is facing staffing shortages. Earlier this year more than 1,000 NOAA employees were laid off, and others were offered voluntary retirement, including many here in Florida. We spoke to a meteorologist from the National Weather Service office in Ruskin, who took that voluntary retirement option, about the impact that these job cuts could have on forecasting weather events. Read the full story...
Future of FEMA
Another federal agency that could see changes coming is FEMA. FEMA is the government organization responsible for dealing with national emergencies.
In Washington, there's a piece of legislation to reform the agency. The FEMA Independence Act would turn FEMA into an independent agency, removing it from the Department of Homeland Security.
The bill would also grant the agency a cabinet ranking, with the director reporting to the president.
President Trump announced a FEMA review council, which includes Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Florida Division of Emergency Managment Director Kevin Guthrie.
Download the Spectrum News App
Getting up-to-the-minute news can be paramount during a storm crisis, so be sure to download the Spectrum News app (iOS) (Google Play Store). With national reach, boots-on-the-ground local coverage and an unimpeachable weather team, we’ve got you covered all storm season long.
The Spectrum News App's Storm Season section is designed specifically to provide everything you need to know about hurricane season, from breaking weather reports to the latest news on what you'll need to prepare for and get through any worst-case scenario, who to contact in an emergency and more. Our dedicated Weather section provides even more comprehensive year-round coverage, including hour-by-hour forecasts and daily updates, facts and knowledge from hometown meteorologists with the experience and expertise residents have trusted for decades. Klystron 9's cutting-edge radar technology features hyperlocal data and temperature overlays, as well as long-range tropical system cone forecasts to help you plan ahead.
