On the morning of the 10th, residents of Florida, hit by Hurricane Milton, saw the devastation firsthand. Milton crossed the Tampa area as it moved across the state, spawning large tornadoes before entering the Atlantic Ocean.
A tornado hit St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast, killing five people. Milton killed at least 10 people, according to Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas.
In St. Petersburg, on the state’s west coast, the roof of Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, was damaged. According to PowerOutage.US, there were more than 3 million power outages in homes and offices across the state.
Crane fell in the center of St. Petersburg
Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg
Damaged buildings and tennis court lighting equipment (St Petersburg)
Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg
Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg) with roof damage
Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg
Florida Governor DeSantis said the state had avoided the “worst case scenario,” but search and rescue efforts were still underway. Some areas are still isolated, and the full extent of the damage cannot yet be understood. Hurricane Heleen also hit the state in late September.
Milton leaves more than 3 million without power
Estimated share of customers without power
Sources: FindEnergy, NOAA
Sarasota resident Greg Crews, 49, survived the hurricane in his home in an area where evacuation orders were issued. Cruz said she had nowhere to take her three children, ages 19, 16 and 14, and her dog. “The wind was very scary.”It was,” he said. Fortunately, my house did not sustain as much damage as I had feared.
Greg Cruz’s home and surrounding area
Source: Greg Cruz
“The wind was making a lot of noise,” said Alex Francesky, 44, who was holed up in his home with six cats in Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood. “I’ve lived here for a long time, and this was not normal.”
People walking through flooded areas (Fort Myers, Florida)
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Grocery store using in-house power generation after passing through Milton (St. Petersburg)
Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg
Fallen tree (St. Petersburg)
Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg
Original title:‘I Could Shake My House’: Milton’s Tears Across Florida (1)(excerpt)