once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg

Tampa Bay hasn't been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921.
Milton may be the one

Hurricane Milton weakened slightly Tuesday but remained a ferocious
storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St.
Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges
and turning debris from Helene's devastation 12 days ago into
projectiles.

Almost the entirety of Florida's west coast was under a hurricane
warning as the storm and its 155 mph (250 kph) winds spun just off
Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, creeping toward the state at 12 mph (19
kph) and sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters.

https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-florida-tampa-7678939c52fdf00da748937d22df1fac