Four years ago, a disaster planning project called "Hurricane Phoenix" imagined what the worst-case scenario would be for a hurricane hitting Tampa. The result looks a lot like some of the forecasts for the region as Hurricane Milton approaches.

The event, called a reverse storm surge, also occurred during Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. As heavy winds from Milton whip from land into the Atlantic Ocean, water levels are dropping significantly, exposing a bare sandy shoreline where water usually sits.