The 1848 Tampa Bay hurricane, also known as the Great Gale of 1848, was the most severe hurricane to affect the Tampa Bay area and is one of only two major hurricanes to make landfall in the area, the other having occurred in 1921. It affected the Tampa Bay Area September 23–25, 1848, and crossed the peninsula to cause damage on the east coast on or about September 26. It reshaped parts of the coast and destroyed much of what few human works and habitation were then in the Tampa Bay Area. Although available records of its wind speed are unavailable, its barometric pressure and storm surge were consistent with at least a Category 4 hurricane. A survivor called the storm "the granddaddy of all hurricanes."

The storm appears to have formed in the central Gulf of Mexico before moving northeast to make landfall near Clearwater, Florida. It then crossed the Florida peninsula and exited near Cape Canaveral.  After moving into the extreme western Atlantic, the cyclone continued to the northeast just offshore of the East Coast of the United States to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

Fort Brooke recorded peak winds of 72 miles per hour, and a barometer at the fort measured a minimum pressure of 28.18 inches of mercury (954 mb), though the winds were still blowing at the time that reading was made. The storm produced the highest storm tide ever experienced in Tampa Bay. The water rose and fell about 15 feet in six to eight hours. The tide inundated Pinellas County “at the waist,” covering all low-lying elevations, and reportedly submerged most of the Interbay Peninsula, where South Tampa and MacDill Air Force Base currently reside. “The bays [Hillsborough and Old Tampa] met.” General R. D. A. Wade, commanding at Fort Brooke, reported the destruction of the wharves, public buildings, and storehouses. B. P. Curry, the fort’s assistant surgeon, reported the hospital destroyed. Only five houses were left standing in Tampa, and they were all damaged. The water rose twelve feet higher than had been noted in the past, and strong winds downed many old trees.

On the Pinellas Peninsula, the storm destroyed the fishing rancho of Antonio Máximo Hernández, reputedly lower Pinellas’ first white settler, forcing him to emigrate permanently. The storm almost obliterated the citrus crop and destroyed the main house at St. Helena plantation—now part of Safety Harbor—forcing the residents to shelter on an elevated Tocobaga mound. Even so, they nearly drowned as the storm tide eroded part of the shell mound. Winds also felled almost all of the trees along what is now Indian Rocks Road in Largo.

The storm completely altered the coastal geography of the Tampa Bay area, cutting new inlets, filling in others, and altering the shape of bays and keys, thereby making navigational charts useless to mariners. Allen’s Creek was widened from less than 200 feet  to about half a mile at its mouth. Passage Key, between Egmont Key and Anna Maria, was obliterated but reformed later. The storm created what would become known as “Soldier’s Hole” at Mullet Key, so called because soldiers at Fort De Soto used it as a swimming hole. John’s Pass was opened but has since shifted north. After the storm destroyed the lighthouse on Egmont Key, the keeper (Marvel Edwards) rode out the storm in a rowboat tied to a palmetto tree. The end of the rope was later found 9 ft. off the ground, which had an elevation of about 6 ft.

By James McKay, Jr. in "Reminiscences - History of Tampa in the Olden Days"  Dec. 18, 1923 and "Oldest Tampa Citizen Recounts Tampa's Deeds," Dec. 20, 1921, Tampa Times.

In 1848, the town was visited by a terrific hurricane causing the tide to rise above 15 feet above low water mark, washing away the W. G. Ferris store and the house we were living in; in fact, most of the houses that were located on the river bank.

At this time, my father was absent at New Orleans with his schooner, the Wm. H. Gotzmer, this vessel at that time being the only means of transportation with the outside world in securing supplies for the small colony of Tampa. 

Our family was moved to the Palmer hotel, and when driven out of there on account of the tide, to the Darling and Griffin store, and then to the military hospital on the reservation. The Palmer Hotel withstood the hurricane, although the water rose two feet over the main floor. 

After the hurricane, the military authorities issued my mother tents to house our family, which, with their assistance, was placed on the block now occupied by the Knight & Wall Hardware Co., that block at the time being owned by my grandmother, Sarah Cail.

When my father returned in his vessel, he had some logs cut and hauled in and a house built, where we lived for some 20 months, until he could bring lumber from Mobile and build a house on the block now occupied by the Almeria Hotel.

As soon as Mr. [W. G.] Ferris could obtain material he erected a small building on the south side of Whiting street near the intersection of Franklin, which did not extend farther south, on account of the reservation.

 A few years later Mr. Ferris, having some trouble with the military officials, was ordered off the reservation, so he moved his store to the corner of Florida and Washington streets and built his residence on the same lot. This residence became the old folks home and later on was moved to the site the home is now occupying and somewhat improved, or made larger.  (See this house)

E. L Robinson's account of the storm:

The turbulent weather preceding the great storm of 1848 commenced on Saturday, September 23. During Sunday the wind came in gusts from the east accompanied by occasional showers. A number of men went down the bay on Sunday to assist in bringing in W. G. Ferris' schooner, the John T. Sprague, due from New Orleans with a cargo of supplies. Great difficulty was experienced in towing the vessel against the strong wind, and it was necessary to "kedge" (move by hauling in a thick rope or cable attached to a small anchor dropped at some distance) more than once before reaching the landing. It was well for the troops and villagers that this cargo was saved, for it was some time afterward before more supplies came in. The schooner also brought specie (coins) and currency to be paid to the soldiers, Mr. Ferris being "acting'' paymaster at the time. 

On the morning of the 26th, the wind shifted to the south and finally to the southwest.  Then the trouble commenced. A high tide came in, and the velocity of the wind increased, driving the water deep into the garrison. Ferris carried his family to the Palmer House, then waded ·in "water up to his armpits back to the store, where he succeeded in getting out the currency and account books. Then upon looking southward, he saw the commissary building rolling and tumbling straight toward his warehouse. A moment later there was a crash as the warehouse was struck and away went the whole structure, reduced to a mass of wreckage that included $15,000 worth of goods and a large amount of specie.

The Palmer House now seemed doomed. Tables began to float around in the dining room of the old hostelry. Josiah Ferris, son of the sutler, distinguished himself by swimming out through the north door with a young girl in his arms. The refugees retreated to the Kennedy store, thence to still higher ground at the corner of Franklin and Washington. But the Palmer House withstood the storm. The scene in the garrison was now appalling, though sublime in its grandeur, as the great waves came charging in, and the bay as far as the eye could reach was lashed to a fury. The islands in the bay were out of sight under the water, and the tidal wave rushed across the peninsula west of the river into Old Tampa Bay. The tremendous pressure of wind and water raised the river until only the treetops were visible, far north of the village. The Sprague, with the government specie still on board, had been anchored up at the ship yard," and during the worst part of the gale the hull of an old abandoned boat floated against her and broke her cables, allowing her to drift out into the pine woods east of the river and somewhere west of what is now Franklin street with captain and crew still on board.

During Monday afternoon the wind died away and the waters receded somewhat, giving the villagers an opportunity of viewing the damage. In the garrison they found that the little church on the beach, the soldiers' quarters near by, C. B. Allen's boarding house, the Indian agent's office and the Ferris property had been wrecked, and all other buildings in that locality more or less damaged. North of Whiting street, the block house and the Turman and Ashley residences had been swept away. The roof of W. S. Spencer's house was blown off. The residence of Capt. James McKay, Sr., was spared.

Whiskey flowed freely on the evening following the gale, several barrels of the potent stuff having been salvaged from the bay and river. Most of the liquor as well as a number of cases of wine was turned over to the post commander, however.  A number of cedar logs which Ferris had kept in a "bight" on the Alafia river were scattered along the shore from a point up the river around to the north shore of Old Tampa Bay. It is said that the waters of the bay were phosphorescent during several nights preceding the gale, and on Sunday night the light from this source was "almost bright enough to read by."

The village school, taught by a Mr. Wilson, had been dismissed on the forenoon of the day of the gale, and Mr. Henderson, who was one of the pupils, said that the velocity of the wind was so great the people were forced to hug the ground in order to get anywhere. During the storm the lighthouse at Egmont was so badly damaged that a new one was built. No lives were lost as a result of the gale, but there were many narrow escapes from death. As to the cause of the inundation, various theories were advanced. Many were of the opinion that the east wind had blown great volumes of water into the gulf, and that the south wind coming on with the tide, drove the waters of the overtaxed gulf into the bays along our coast. Of such was the memorable storm of '48.

History of Hillsborough County, Florida, Narrative and Biographical, 1928" by Ernest L. Robinson, Director of High Schools of Hillsborough County, Formerly Principal of Hillsborough County High School.