As Hurricane Milton barrels toward central Florida, Northeastern University disaster recovery experts say residents should expect extensive destruction from the storm and its surge — particularly if Tampa is hit directly.
“Tampa is the most vulnerable place,” says Q. Jim Chen, professor of civil and environmental engineering and marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern.
Chen explained that the wide continental shelf off the west coast of Florida means that wind can easily whip up shallow water and push it into Tampa Bay, which also is shallow, and only exacerbates the surge.
Moreover, the developed coastline around the bay — metro Tampa is home to 3.5 million people — means that much infrastructure will be susceptible to the surge.
The unrepaired recent damage from Hurricane Helene also doesn’t help.
“If they don’t remove that debris, it becomes even more dangerous — like weapons actually,” Chen says. “Missiles are going to be moving everywhere.”
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