Tampa's Security From Major Storms May Be Attributed To This Local Legend

According to the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, the Tocobagas made the Tampa Bay area their home in the 900s. There, they constructed villages and mounds, which Pinellas County reports are made of shells and sand. These mounds were then used for different purposes, including temples, burial grounds, and homes for their chiefs. Whatever their use, the Tampa Bay Times notes that these mounds were significant to the Tocobagas. Tragically, they were wiped out by disease and war from Spanish settlers by the 17th century. Now, AccuWeather states, the oldest remaining burial mound is located near Old Tampa Bay.

Per The Washington Post, locals believe that the Tocobaga blessed the burial mounds, which in turn, has provided Tampa protection from incoming storms. Rui Farias from the Saint Petersburg Museum of History told the Tampa Bay Times, "It's almost like when a myth becomes history." He added, "As time goes on, it comes true." Faria also said that perhaps the blessing was actually a curse that Tocobaga tribe placed for revenge against the Spanish. Nevertheless, many locals note that they have always been safe from hurricanes. As one man, Leonard McCue, pointed out, "It just never seems to happen" (via The Washington Post).

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