Hurricane Milton live updates: Monster storm slams into Florida; deaths confirmed
The Hillsborough County sheriff’s office said this morning it was out cutting trees to reopen some of the roadways following the peak of the storm in the area.
“There are downed power lines and trees everywhere,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a post on social media this morning.
The sheriff’s department shared images and videos on social media of its teams beginning rescue operations and responding to flooding and downed trees.
More than 3 million people across Florida are without power this morning.
Following Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida, Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan spoke about the effects of the storm and said that “probably” more than 60% of the city has no electricity.
Bevan also warned residents about the dangers caused by downed power lines even after the storm has passed.
Video shared online by the Tampa Police Department shows officers evacuating 15 people, including children, from a home in the midst of Hurricane Milton after a tree was reported to have hit the residence.
Police said officers who were also sheltering from the storm made their way to the single-story home after receiving a 911 call saying a tree had crashed into the building.
In the video, police can be seen helping lead people out of the home and into police vehicles amid heavy rains. The officers were able to get everyone out of the home safely, with residents transported to the nearest shelter, Tampa Police said.
“The swift actions taken by these officers during a break in the storm bands provided this family with a sense of safety in a time of fear and uncertainty,” Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement.
Tampa suffered “extensive damage” as a result of Hurricane Milton, including downed trees and half a million people without power, the city’s mayor said early this morning.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urged residents to stay inside until city officials could go out and assess the damage and make sure it was safe for people.
She said during a news conference this morning the fact that Tampa didn’t see the predicted storm surge, “saved a lot, that’s what we were really worried about,” but added that the risk of flooding was not over.
“At 7 a.m. when high tide comes in, rivers are going to flood all over Hillsborough County, not just in the city of Tampa,” she said.
St. Lucie County said this morning that four deaths were confirmed as a result of tornadoes that touched down in the area yesterday.
The county said in a statement that first responders and utility crews were conducting response and recovery efforts after two confirmed tornadoes touched down Wednesday beginning at around 4:30 p.m. The St. Lucie Medical Examiner confirmed four fatalities as a result of these tornadoes, the statement said.
“Numerous homes and structures across St. Lucie County, including the City of Port St. Lucie and unincorporated areas, suffered significant damage,” the county said.
Tampa officials said this morning that the city received more than one hundred emergency calls, including fires, trees falling on homes, downed power lines, minor medical calls and fire alarms.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said at a news conference this morning that police were dispatched to a call where 15 people were rescued after a “tree had fell on the house and water was coming in the house.”
Bercaw said police rescued 15 people, “including young children,” and took them to a local school shelter.
Hurricane Milton continued its destructive path eastwards across Florida, drenching a neighborhood in Daytona Beach as it headed out over the Atlantic.
