Tampa Bay area gets serious flooding but again dodges a direct hit from a major hurricane

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

Last year it was Hurricane Ian that drew a bead on Tampa Bay before abruptly shifting east to strike southwest Florida more than 130 miles (210 kilometers) away. This time it was Hurricane Idalia, which caused some serious flooding as it sideswiped the bay area but packed much more punch at landfall Wednesday miles to the north. In fact, the Tampa Bay area hasn’t been hit by a major hurricane for more than a century. The last time it happened, there were just a few hundred thousand people living in the region. It’s home to more than 3 million people today but has continued to dodge the Big One.