Tampa sees 5x the usual October rainfall due to Hurricane Milton

TAMPA, Fla. ( WFLA ) — Hurricane Milton’s landfall as a Category 3 hurricane didn’t just bring devastating storm surge and extremely dangerous wind speeds, it also left Tampa Bay soaked with historic rainfall.

Tampa Bay faced a potential threat of catastrophic 15-foot storm surge, but this was averted when the hurricane swerved into Sarasota County near Siesta Key.

However, this meant that the counties north of Milton’s eye were hit by heavy rainfall.

St. Petersburg saw 15 to 18 inches of rainfall, while areas in and around Tampa saw 12 to 13 inches of rain. Even counties further inland saw historic levels of rain, well after the hurricane hit land.

“In fact, in some areas, it’s about a once-in-a-500-year event, believe it or not,” said Jeff Berardelli, Max Defender 8 chief meteorologist. “Very, very rare event in parts of our area.”

In Tampa, Milton produced 12 inches of rain, more than five times the normal amount of rain for October. The normal amount for the entire month is usually 2.3 inches of rain.

At times, people think of hurricanes as more of a threat when it comes to storm surge or winds, but with rain like this, Tampa Bay residents saw unprecedented flooding that struck their neighborhoods and homes, even outside the evacuation zones.

“We’re talking a foot and a half of rainfall, and now that is what is leading to those lower-lying areas where you hear people say, ‘Well we don’t normally flood. We’re not in an evacuation zone,'” Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Amanda Holly said. “Well, when you get 18 inches of rain over a big area, yeah, you will see abnormally high water levels get into areas that don’t normally flood.”

With the heavy rainfall brought by hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, 2024 has become the wettest year on record for the Tampa Bay area. After Milton, Tampa saw 77.11″ inches of rain, more than 32.93 inches more than the normal yearly amount.

“Even if we don’t get another drop of rain for the entire rest of the year, we will end the wettest year on record in Tampa,” Holly said.

While the rains are out of our area, there is a fear of river flooding as they crest after the hurricane.

The Anclote River, the Hillsborough River, the Little Manatee River, the Alafia River, and the Manatee River are all areas of concern.

However, Tampa Bay will now experience some dry northern air that will reduce the humidity.

“It couldn’t take the rain chance out completely, but I really think that outside of getting a quick little sprinkle, the day is going to feel comfortable,” Max Defender 8 meteorologist Leigh Spann said. “And it’s going to stick around with nice dry conditions all the way through the weekend.”

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