TAMPA, Fla — What happened to the water?
That’s a question many people are still asking days after the water in Tampa Bay receded amid Hurricane Ian.
Although the water has since returned, it’s a topic that remains among the most-searched subjects on Google as of Friday afternoon.
In case you are still wondering why it happened, here’s the science behind it.
This weather phenomenon is known as “reverse storm surge” or “negative storm surge,” which happens when the wind direction blows water away from the coast. In this case, the winds of Hurricane Ian essentially pulled the water out as the storm rotated counterclockwise.
The same situation happened five years in Hillsborough Bay amid Hurricane Irma.
Photos of the phenomenon popped up across social media and made national headlines – including a warning from the National Weather Service.
“Please do not attempt to walk there or any other location with receding water,” NWS wrote Wednesday morning.
You can see more posts from city officials below: