Tampa Bay hurricane of 1848 (by HanKFranK) September 25, 1848, may have been the landmark hurricane of record for the Tampa Bay area. Documentary evidence suggests a surge of at least 15 and likely near 20 feet at Fort Brooke, which is currently Tampa. Accounts of the storm leave doubt as to whether it came in south or north of the bay, though more likely it was up closer to Tarpon Springs. The surge and descriptions of the wind suggest the hurricane may have been a category 4. Such a storm today would create a monumental mess. What may have been a similar, but much weakened hurricane hit the area in 1921, and this was the last recurving late-season monster to directly hit the area.
