As Hurricane Irma neared Florida early Sunday, some forecasters predicted the city of St. Petersburg might take a direct hit. The course change from Florida's east coast caught many off guard and triggered Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, to order people to leave. Motorists heading inland from the Tampa area were allowed to drive on the shoulders. A major hurricane hasn’t hit the Tampa area since 1921, the Times reported, citing information from National Hurricane Center spokesman and meteorologist Dennis Feltgen. The course change from Florida's east coast caught many off guard and triggered a major round of evacuations.

Source: Fox News September 10, 2017 09:22 UTC