The most recent major hurricane to hit Tampa Bay directly was the 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane, which made landfall near Tarpon Springs on October 25, 1921. This Category 3 hurricane brought sustained winds of 115 mph and a storm surge of about 10.5 feet, causing significant flooding and damage in Tampa and surrounding areas. Since then, Tampa Bay has not experienced a direct major hurricane hit, although there are concerns that this may change in the future with storms such as Hurricane Milton in 2024, which came very close to the area.