‘Our Door Flew Off’ – Florida Grapples with Widespread Destruction after Hurricane Milton
“It was terrifying. We were so scared. It felt like the tornado was inside our house.” These are the words of Crystal, a resident of Florida, whose neighborhood has been left in ruins after Hurricane Milton tore across the state, leaving millions without power.
The storm, which unleashed tornadoes as it approached the state Wednesday evening, caused widespread damage in areas like Crystal’s. Forecasters often note that tropical storms can give rise to these violent tornadoes. Crystal’s home wasn’t spared. Parts of her roof were ripped away, windows shattered, and debris scattered throughout the street.
On Thursday, relief efforts were already underway, with volunteers distributing hot meals to grateful residents who had lost access to electricity and running water. “Having a warm meal and a friendly face really makes a difference,” one resident shared. The main street showed the aftermath: overturned trucks, gas stations stripped of their canopies, and uprooted trees blocking roads.
While many have reached out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for help, the immediate concern for most is finding shelter and food for their families. The scope of Milton’s destruction is still being assessed, but officials warn that the death toll could rise as recovery efforts continue.
Milton brought relentless rains, with some regions seeing as much as 18 inches (45 cm). Entire neighborhoods are submerged, streets remain impassable, and the winds left a trail of destruction through homes, businesses, and even stadiums. Despite the devastation, Governor Ron DeSantis commented that Florida had avoided the “worst-case scenario.”
Approximately 80,000 people sought refuge in emergency shelters overnight, and many others evacuated ahead of the storm. “It seems like a lot of people heeded the warnings and left the evacuation zones,” DeSantis said. Despite this, rescue crews have been working around the clock. In one of the largest operations, more than 400 people were rescued from a heavily flooded apartment complex in Pinellas County. In a dramatic rescue off the coast, a ship captain was pulled from the water 30 miles (48 km) from shore, clinging to a cooler.
Maria Bowman, 60, endured Milton’s ferocious winds from her bright pink mobile home in North Fort Myers, situated just 600 meters from the Caloosahatchee River, which made her especially vulnerable to storm surge. Her home is in Evacuation Zone A, the area designated for those most at risk. She recalls the terrifying moment when her power went out around 10 p.m. “It sounded like an explosion,” she said. “Boom. No electricity.”
Bowman, who has weathered several hurricanes over the years, is now considering leaving the state for good. “There are just too many hurricanes. You survive one, but next time, you might not be so lucky. Who knows?”
Governor DeSantis has warned that flooding remains a significant threat in the coming days, and the storm’s full impact may not be known for some time. Storm surges, which can reach heights of up to 15 feet, are particularly dangerous during high tide. Tampa’s mayor, Jane Castor, expressed relief that her city did not experience the catastrophic surges initially feared, though the region still suffered significant damage.
In nearby St. Petersburg, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team was hit hard. The stadium’s iconic dome, which lights up in bright orange when the team wins a home game, was torn apart by Milton’s winds. A crane collapsed in downtown St. Petersburg, crashing into nearby high-rise buildings.
Authorities had spent days urging residents in Milton’s path to evacuate, warning of the potentially deadly consequences of staying behind.
Milton, which struck Florida as a Category 3 hurricane with winds reaching 124 mph (200 km/h), had previously been classified as a Category 5, the most powerful type of storm. Now, weakened and downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, Milton is moving away from Florida, passing north of the Bahamas.
The hurricane comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene battered the southeastern U.S., killing over 200 people and leaving many more unaccounted for. Cleanup from that storm is still ongoing, with Milton’s devastation adding to the state’s mounting recovery challenges.
