Eerie urban legend explains why one major city in Florida wasn't directly hit by Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton has killed astatine slightest 10 radical crossed Florida but Tampa, situated connected Florida's westbound coast, mostly dodged the important interaction of the convulsive storm

One ample metropolis successful Florida managed to debar being straight deed by Hurricane Milton - and locals judge they are protected by a blessing.

Those surviving successful Tampa connected the state's westbound seashore accidental mounds some ineffable and burial, adjacent a pier and deriving backmost to the 16th Century person immense significance. Spirits are said to person blessed Tampa residents astatine those mounds implicit the centuries and truthful it is thought hurricanes ever veer northbound oregon southbound and marque landfall elsewhere.

And Tampa, location to astir 400,000 people, has not been straight ravaged by immoderate hurricane since 1929. Hurricane Irma killed 134 radical successful 2017 - but Tampa did not carnivore the important brunt of Irma. None of the 10 radical killed by Hurricane Milton are thought to person been from Tampa.

Explaining the blessings, a Tampa nonmigratory said successful a TikTok video: "There person been past spirits that person blessed this land, and the hurricanes volition ever veer northbound oregon southbound of us, ne'er deed america close on."

Rui Farias, a past teacher successful adjacent St Petersburg, said: "It's astir similar erstwhile a story becomes history. As clip goes on, it comes true. I wasn't a believer before, but I americium now." Lisa Sinatra, a nonmigratory for 45 years, said she started believing the municipality fable aft Tampa wasn't deed straight by Irma.

The Tocobagan people built mounds on the peninsula astatine which Tampa sits. It is understood they were either for rubbish, to hide corpses, oregon support themselves from intruders, including different tribes, oregon earthy disasters, similar hurricanes. Some radical judge powerfully successful the second and accidental the tribute held rituals and blessings by the mounds, immoderate arsenic heavy arsenic 23 feet.

But Hurricane Milton caused several tornadoes crossed the authorities and its 120mph winds toppled a crane, destroyed the iconic offices of a paper and ravaged a sports stadium.

The immense hurricane tore done Florida overnight, making landfall with terrifying upwind speeds and tempest surges of up to 12 feet of water. In the metropolis of St Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Times said no-one was injured erstwhile the crane fell onto the gathering lodging their bureau successful St Petersburg amid precocious winds.

The afloat grade of the harm crossed Florida volition apt beryllium revealed successful the hours up arsenic daylight returns to the "sunshine state". The huge tempest made landfall in Siesta Key astir 9.30pm section clip (2.30am BST) aft days of gathering successful the Gulf of Mexico, earlier hitting towns and cities similar Sarasota, St Petersburg, and Tampa Bay with devastating 120mph gusts and inches of rainfall each hour. Nearly 3 cardinal homes and businesses person been near without power.