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CVB Assists Visitors, Residents During Storms
Some say the historic lack of hurricanes to hit the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area is due to a Native American blessing and some say it is due to the area’s location and geography, but local emergency management and tourism officials pay no attention to any of that. Even though the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area has not had a direct hit from a major hurricane in the last 150 years and has only been hit by three minor (category 1 or 2) hurricanes during that time, the area maintains an active, updated plan for dealing with a possible storm strike.
Area tourism officials are part of the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center and have developed contingency plans for all types of possible storm situations. Throughout hurricane season (which runs from June through November) the county’s emergency management team monitors all approaching storms. The good thing about hurricanes, as opposed to other forces of nature, is that they follow a relatively predictable path.
When emergency officials believe that a storm might strike the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, they activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This is always done days ahead of any potential impact by a storm. The emergency planners in the EOC (which includes area tourism officials) notify the community through local media outlets when they believe a storm will impact our area. The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, which is part of the EOC, also notifies all accommodations and tourism businesses to make sure all visitors are aware of the situation.
The EOC makes decisions on whether or not to evacuate low lying parts of our area days before the storm has a chance to impact our area. This gives visitors and residents time to change their plans, secure their belongings, notify relatives and make their way off our barrier island beaches. If an evacuation is ordered, the CVB works with area accommodations to notify visitors and assist them in finding accommodation in properties that are not in evacuation zones. Every lodging property in the area has a hurricane plan and will notify guests in advance of any evacuation and offer directions and assistance with relocating. The CVB’s information lines remain open round-the-clock during storm situations.
In the event that a storm will impact the area, the CVB will maintain a program of regular communications with national and international tour operators, media outlets, the state tourism office (Visit Florida) and area accommodations. The CVB website is updated frequently with accommodation availability and storm information. The CVB, area accommodations and other industry officials (such as transportation companies) work together to make sure that all visitors and residents have a place to go and a way to get there in the rare event of an evacuation.
The CVB has developed a list of Frequently Asked Questions to provide more information about hurricanes and how to travel safely and conveniently during the fall hurricane season.
Questions & Answers About Hurricanes
For St. Petersburg/Clearwater – Florida’s Beach
Hurricanes have been recorded in Florida dating back to the 1500s when Spanish explorers recorded the first hurricane - The Great Tempest. Official recording and tracking of hurricanes started in 1886 and goes back to the mid-1850s. In the more than 150 years that they have been tracked, only three hurricanes (none of them major hurricanes) have made landfall in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, and only 36 major hurricanes (category 3-5) have hit Florida.
This sheet is designed to answer many of the common visitor questions about hurricanes. The primary source of the statistical information is the Tropical Prediction Center and National Weather Service, which are branches of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For more information, go to www.noaa.gov
What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with a defined circulation and sustained winds of 74 miles per hour (65 knots) or greater in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. They are called typhoons and cyclones in other parts of the world.
What months are considered hurricane season? Highest activity?
The Atlantic hurricane season is officially from June 1 to November 30. The peak of the hurricane season is from mid-August to mid-October.
What are the chances of a hurricane striking in St. Pete/Clearwater during hurricane season? Should we not travel during hurricane season?
Since only three hurricanes have made landfall in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater in the last 150 years, the likelihood of one hitting during your vacation is slim. Hurricanes are tracked far out at sea by the National Hurricane Center and any destinations that are considered at risk for possible landfall have several days notice to notify residents and visitors. When storms do strike in the state, they move through quickly and then things typically get back to normal almost immediately. The Convention & Visitors Bureau suggests that when making travel plans during hurricane season you monitor national news broadcasts for hurricane activity. You can also check with your airline and accommodation to find out their hurricane plans and policies. It is important to point out that a direct hit by a major hurricane is a rare event.
What should visitors do if they are in Florida and a hurricane is approaching?
Most Florida tourism offices (including the St. Petersburg/Clearwater CVB) actively work with local emergency management officials to keep visitors safe in the event of an approaching storm. There are cooperative agreements to help find accommodations for visitors who might have to be evacuated from coastal areas. Stay tuned to local media, your host accommodation and the state tourism office at www.visitflorida.com for updates and assistance if you need to relocate.
What do visitors do if they in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area and a hurricane threatens?
If you hear of a storm threat, check with the registration office at your property, check the TV and/or radio for news reports, visit the Florida’s Beach website at floridasbeach.com or call the CVB’s visitor assistance line at 727-464-7200. Evacuation orders are only given if there is a significant storm threat.
Where can they go?
In the unlikely event of an evacuation, the CVB will maintain a list of available area accommodations that are in non-evacuation zones. The CVB also works cooperatively with other Florida destinations that typically set up special hotlines to provide hotel availability and rates throughout the state. These numbers are published in advisories sent to properties and posted on the Florida’s Beach website at floridasbeach.com. The county also operates emergency shelters that are available throughout the area as a last resort. Shelter lists are available from accommodations or from the CVB and county emergency management 727-464-4333.
What about lodging refunds?
Each property has its own refund policy. Many properties provide refunds of unused nights as soon as local officials issue a visitor evacuation order. Prior to making a reservation, it is prudent for the visitor to have a clear understanding about a particular lodging facility’s refund policies in the event of a hurricane threat. Several travel insurance plans are available from companies that can provide additional fiscal protection. Visitors traveling with the assistance of a travel agent or tour operator should also review the refund policy and/or travel insurance offered before they take their trip.
If the area is inside the 3- or 5-day storm track, does that mean it will definitely get hit?
The National Hurricane Center forecast tracks of the center can be in error. The historical data indicate the entire 5-day path of the center of the tropical cyclone will remain within the outer uncertainty area about 60-70 percent of the time. There is also uncertainty in the NHC intensity forecasts. Visitors should monitor media reports for storm path, speed and intensity.
How many direct hits does Florida and the whole United States experience?
According to NOAA statistics, close to five hurricanes hit the United States every three years or 1.65 per year, and two major hurricanes cross the U.S. coast every three years or 0.65 per year. Florida has been hit by 36 major hurricanes over the last 150 years.
What is the difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane? What does the scale mean?
The speed of the maximum sustained winds is what determines what a storm is called. The strength of hurricanes is rated using the Saffir/Simpson scale in the United States. This scale assigns a storm to one of five categories based on wind speed. Category one is a minimal hurricane and category five is the strongest. Using this scale helps estimate the potential property damage and expected coastal flooding from a hurricane.
Tropical Depression - maximum winds less than 39 mph.
Category 1 Hurricane - maximum sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph.
Category 2 Hurricane - maximum sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph
Category 3 Hurricane - maximum sustained winds of 111 to 130 mph.
Category 4 Hurricane - maximum sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph.
Category 5 Hurricane - maximum sustained winds of 156 and higher.
What is the difference between a hurricane warning and a hurricane watch?
The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, has the responsibility for monitoring and issuing watches and warnings in the Atlantic and Northeast basins. A warning is issued when hurricane conditions are expected in 24-36 hours, and a watch when hurricane conditions are possible within 36-48 hours. If a warning or watch is issued one should begin preliminary preparations for potential landfall and stay tuned to radio and TV for weather updates.
What is they Eye of the Storm? The Eye wall? Rainbands?
The eye is the hurricane’s center. It is the calmest part of the storm. The Eyewall consists of a ring of tall thunderstorms that produce heavy rains and usually the strongest winds of the storm. Rainbands are the bands of clouds and thunderstorms that trail away from the eye wall in a spiral fashion and area capable of producing heavy bursts of rain and wind as well as tornadoes.
Why are hurricanes named? Who names them?
The National Hurricane Center is also responsible for naming tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin. Hurricanes are named to provide ease of communication and reduce confusion between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches, and warnings.
Where can I get advisories for hurricanes?
St. Pete/Clearwater Area – floridasbeach.com (site is continually updated during storms)
VISIT FLORIDA – www.visitflorida.com (this is the official state tourism office)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - www.noaa.com
National Weather Service - www.nws.noaa.gov; National Hurricane Center - www.nhc.noaa.gov
Do hurricanes have any positive effects?
Florida is a state that constantly needs rain. Hurricanes bring rain that helps to refill the Floridian aquifer (the state’s fresh water supply). The water also helps supply Florida’s natural springs. Hurricanes also deposit sand atop and on the backside of barrier islands (all of Florida’s major beaches are barrier island beaches), which elevates them. “The big changes that occur in barrier islands often occur during hurricanes,” according to Orrin H. Pilkey, Professor Emeritus of Geology at the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University. “Barrier Islands need hurricanes for their survival…It’s during hurricanes that the islands get higher and wider.”
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