I pretty much agree with your post...Tampa was emphasized because of its large population...because, it takes a lot more time to evac the endangered people in Hillsbourgh (sp?) and Pinellas (sp? again) Co. than in other areas. But it should have been conveyed that ANYONE in the warned area...especially if you were under mandatory evac orders...should get out. Like I said earlier, broadcast media tends to focus on "precise" landfall points rather than ranges...and this is a mistake.
The west coast of FL has the potential to have the largest storm surges of anywhere on the eastern or gulf coasts...due to the shallow continental shelf offshore. Luckily, they are not climatologicaly favored for a major hurricane hit. The last two major hurricanes to hit Tampa were 1960 and 1921. Unfortunately, today we beat climatology due to the east coast trough. For the storm surge potential alone, media should have been casting a wider net then focusing on Tampa. But, again, due to the long evac time for Tampa metro...I am not going to second guess them on that one. However, they should always point out that if you are under mandatory evac order...you should leave! Ft. Myers and Pt. Charlotte were under these orders for 29 hrs. before landfall...which is plenty of time.
Is the eye breaking up?