TAMPA -- Millions of residents across the Interstate 4 corridor are waking up to flooding, wind damage and destruction after Hurricane Milton.
Several first responder agencies spent the night rescuing dozens of people. Tampa police got 15 people out of a house in the Sulphur Springs neighborhood, after a tree fell on it, and Tampa firefighters rescued several people who suffered injuries when a tree fell on another home. Plant City police and firefighters took part in three dozen rescues.
In St. Petersburg, a construction crane collapsed at the site of the 400 Central (Avenue) project downtown. The city says the wayward crane section crashed into the nearby Tampa Bay Times building, causing damage to several stories of the structure. A city official says the collapse was probably "the best case scenario" and that a bigger crash could have sent the crane as far as six or seven hundred feet from the site, impacting several buildings. Mayor Ken Welch told our Operation Stormwatch coverage with Ryan Gorman, the city may need to look at new regulations that either require cranes to withstand major hurricanes or require developers to dismantle cranes prior to hurricanes.
A few blocks away, high winds damaged the roof at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Officials say the roof was blown to the south of the ballpark. The city
St. Petersburg police say two people died during Milton.
Several cities, including St. Petersburg, are under boil water notices. St. Petersburg has shut off drinking water to city residents after a water main break. St. Petersburg has been able to get sewer service back on line. Tampa Bay Water, the regional water supplier, is urging residents to conserve water.
In the Orlando area, social media shows several feet of water on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Storm surge swirled on much of Florida's west coast, including Sarasota.
In St. Lucie County, officials say several lives have been lost from tornadoes at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Fort Pierce.
Authorities throughout Milton's impact area are urging residents to stay off the roads until first damage assessments are completed.
This page will be updated.
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