FLORIDA · HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Tampa builds for the storm Tampa Bay has long been overdue
A wide, shallow bay opening to the Gulf, decades without a direct major hit, and Ian's 2022 near miss: Tampa wind design carries weight. Here is exactly what the permit desk wants.
GULF EXPOSURE · WHY THE NUMBER MOVES
Open water on three sides drives the design wind speed
Tampa sits on Florida's Gulf coast where Tampa Bay funnels straight into the Gulf of Mexico. Proximity to that open water, not just the map, sets your exposure and your pressures.
Exposure C, coastal default
Sites within roughly a mile of Tampa Bay or the Gulf, plus open terrain, take Exposure C, the higher-pressure choice for most Tampa work.
EXPOSURE CExposure B inland, D at the water
Wooded suburban tracts with tight 30 ft obstructions can use B; true waterfront with 600+ ft of open fetch tips into rare Exposure D.
B · C · D150 to 160 mph, by location
Risk Category II ultimate speeds (3-second gust) climb from interior Hillsborough toward the bayfront. The exact mph varies by site.
RISK IIA CENTURY-LONG NEAR MISS
The last direct hit was 1921 the bay has been overdue ever since
Tampa Bay's shallow geometry amplifies surge and offers little natural windbreak. Design here assumes the storm that has so far stayed offshore.
1848
Tampa Bay hurricane, a major Category 3-plus impact on the early settlement.
1921
Direct landfall, extensive damage; the last major storm to strike the bay head-on.
2017
Hurricane Irma raked the region with widespread wind damage countywide.
2022
Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 landfall just south, a stark near miss for Tampa.
WHAT THE HILLSBOROUGH PERMIT DESK EXPECTS
Six pieces clear a Tampa wind permit
Tampa is not HVHZ, so it runs on Florida Product Approval rather than Miami-Dade NOA, but it sits inside the wind-borne debris region. Bring all six.
Site wind speed
Risk II value of 150–160 mph pinned to the actual address, not a county-wide guess.
3-SEC GUSTExposure justification
Document B, C, or D against real terrain and distance to open water; default to the higher.
B · C · DRisk category
Hospitals, schools, and shelters move to higher-MRI maps and higher speeds than standard II.
CAT I–IVFlorida Product Approval
Windows, doors, roofing, and cladding carry FL numbers, the statewide non-HVHZ pathway.
FL PAImpact or shutters
Inside the wind-borne debris region, glazing passes TAS 201/202/203 or gets rated protection.
TAS 201/202/203Florida PE seal
Calculations sealed by a Florida-licensed PE or architect, with full MWFRS and C&C pressures.
SEALEDASCE 7-22 TABLE 1.5-1 · RETURN PERIODS
Higher risk reads a longer-return wind map
There is no importance-factor multiplier. Each risk category reads a different map with a longer mean recurrence interval, so the design speed rises.
| Risk Category | Map / MRI | Tampa structures |
|---|---|---|
| I | 300-year | Minor agricultural and storage, low life hazard |
| II | 700-year | Homes, offices, retail, most Tampa buildings (150–160 mph) |
| III | 1,700-year | Schools, assembly over 300, substantial hazard |
| IV | 3,000-year | Hospitals, fire and police, EOCs, hurricane shelters |
MAP YOUR JURISDICTION
Compare Tampa against the rest of Florida
SKIP THE MAP LOOKUPS
Get Tampa-correct loads in one address lookup
Enter a Hillsborough County address and the calculator pulls the right 150–160 mph speed, exposure, risk category, and ASCE 7-22 pressures into a PE-ready report.