The Greek community of Tarpon Springs, Florida appears to now be safe from Hurricane Milton after hours of anticipation.
History of Greek Americans in Tarpon Springs
Tarpon Springs, located west of Tampa on the Florida coast, is a major hub for Greek-Americans. It is home to the most concentrated Greek heritage population. The city first attracted Greek sponge divers, who flocked to the area to extract sponges from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico just north of Tampa Bay.
Tarpon Springs is now a popular tourist destination, attracting those who want to soak in the Greek flavor of the city while sampling the Greek foods at local restaurants and taking boat trips out into the Gulf.
The “Sunshine State,” as Americans call Florida, initially began welcoming the Greek community over a century ago, attracting newcomers with its opportunities and retirees alike.
Tampa, the largest city on the state’s west coast, and Tarpon Springs, located a short distance away, have their own histories as centers of Greek immigration. Greeks first arrived in Tarpon Springs in 1905.
Just a few years earlier, sponges had been discovered at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. They came from the Aegean islands, mainly from Kalymnos, Halki, and Symi, bringing with them their expertise in sponge diving and trading. Within a few years, the city was largely supported by the sponge industry. After World War II, a blight that destroyed the sponge habitats forced the inhabitants to shift toward shipping and tourism.
Tarpon Springs is safe from Milton—interview with Charalambos Chalkidis
Before residents had even recovered from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene a few days ago, they were already preparing for the potentially even more destructive Hurricane Milton.
The US President urged all residents of Florida to evacuate their homes as soon as possible so as to seek protection from Hurricane Milton.
“Μany residents did not want to evacuate their homes because they were worried about their property. If authorities decide to evacuate a region, they do not allow you to get back to your home. They only allow you if they deem it to be safe,” said Charalambos Chalkidis, a local resident of Tarpon Springs.
In the days leading up to Hurricane Milton’s Florida landfall, meteorologists were concerned the storm could flood the densely populated shores of Tampa Bay with up to 15 feet of water.
What instead happened was that several feet of water temporarily drained away. “Milton didn’t hit the Greek community of Tarpon Springs that much, as there was no significant flooding,” said Charalambos Chalkidis.
According to Chalkidis, “This is because the water drained away and instead hit in regions much further to the south. We were in the northern part of the clash, close to the beach. We were dealing with rain, water, and air. But in the end, the problem was only rain and air. That’s because the seawater didn’t reach the shore.”
No dead or injured people during the hurricane in the North
During the hurricane, no dead or injured people were reported.
According to Chalkidis:
“We have no reports of any dead people or injuries. Perhaps there was some material damage in the north. We lost electricity, and after that it came back. That’s because there weren’t many floods on the streets, and this made it much easier for factories to work. People had left the region, however, after the warnings of authorities, but the hurricane didn’t reach our region in the north.”
In the Northern Hemisphere, the winds of a tropical storm rotate counterclockwise. When the storm makes landfall, this rotation causes the wind to push water onshore on one side of the storm’s eye, while on the other side, it’s pulling it offshore.
Hazardous winds, rain, and some degree of surge can occur far from the center. However, the exact location of landfall is what is said to determine where the storm surge peaks— same goes for a reverse or “negative” surge.