This storm got a lot of press from its long time as a Cat 5. But it was Cat 4 when it made first landfall in the Keys, Cat 3 when it got to Marco Island, and down to Cat 1 when it reached Tampa. As a result, storm surge along the coast ranged from 3-7 feet.

Forecasters have been predicting doom for the Tampa/ST Pete to Naples coastline for decades. The last major hurricane to direct hit Tampa was almost 100 years ago so they are long overdue. That was a Cat 3 when it made landfall and produced a storm surge of 10-12 feet. Computer models predict a direct hit from a Cat 5 would produce 20 -25 foot or higher storm surges due to the shallow depth of the Gulf.

Compared to that, 3-7 feet is a firecracker that fizzled.