Two prophetic-like simulation videos released a decade apart have resurfaced depicting a massive Category 5 hurricane eerily similar to Milton barreling into Tampa and leaving the area in an apocalyptic state of destruction.
The first video, called Project Phoenix and released in 2009, is a combination of realistic weather reports and archived video footage showing a once-in-a-lifetime theoretical hurricane like Milton – which is scheduled to hit Tampa late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning – slamming into the Tampa area. Forecasters are warning that Milton could generate devastating storm surge with inundations higher than 10 feet.
"What if a Category 5 hurricane struck the Tampa Bay region? How would the events unfold, and what would the region look like in the aftermath of the storm?" the creators ask on their website.
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The devastating scenario sees more than 160 deaths, 30,000 people unaccounted for and more than 300,000 residents seeking shelter. The hurricane causes around $200 billion in property damage with homes, businesses and critical infrastructure being wiped out, and the region buried under 48 million tons of debris.
The video was made by Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC), a body made up of local governments, and was created for small businesses and emergency management agencies to plan for a worst-case scenario during a disaster.
Four years ago, TBRPC released an updated version of the exercise called "Project Phoenix 2.0: The Recovery."
The latest video simulates Hurricane Phoenix forming in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 14 — about a week later than when Milton strikes — with small businesses throughout the Tampa Bay region getting prepared.
"Mandatory evacuations are in effect for all coastal regions, forecasters say this storm could be one of the strongest ever to hit the Tampa Bay region," one newscaster narrator says.
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"Folks, this is unfortunately the worst-case scenario unfolding for the Tampa Bay area. Phoenix is now a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. The wind gusts up to 200 mph," another newscaster says. "It is catastrophic, it is historic and unfortunately making a beeline right now for our area."
Next, the moment of impact is shown via computer-generated imagery (CGI) depicting high tides and storm surges as high as 20 feet with the city's downtown area submerged in water as a car and debris float around. The storm surge is up to the second floor at Tampa General Hospital and footage shows roofs flying off buildings.
"St. Petersburg is essentially an island right now," a newsreader says in the four-minute video.
That is followed by the aftermath of the storm with real-life footage of the destruction caused by Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, in Florida in 2018, with the video asking, "How do we begin to recover?"
In a longer version of the video, business owners who experienced the devastation of Hurricane Michael are interviewed and share their firsthand suggestions and recommendations on how to prepare so that whenever a Hurricane Phoenix does come, the Tampa Bay region is ready.
"The devastation to the region is almost unimaginable," a newsreader says.
"The Howard Franklin Bridge is completely destroyed. I have never seen anything like this," another narrator is heard saying.
The TBRPC implores readers to host training exercises with small business communities and a training webinar video is also posted to its website. The group also provides an interactive map to prepare for evacuation and disaster response operations.
"Prevent panic and confusion by making sure everyone knows where to go and what to do in an emergency situation, whether at home or at work," the guidance reads.
The site also provides tips for effective communication during a potential disaster and advice for taking first aid and CPR courses.
Milton is expected to bring catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding to Florida. It comes after the state was hit by Hurricane Helene in late September, which brought devastating flooding and a storm surge to the Southeast, killing at least 232 people across six states.
