close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

    • Hurricane Milton’s damage extended throughout Florida
    Michigan

    Hurricane Milton’s damage extended throughout Florida

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

    play

    Florida’s west coast, where Hurricane Milton roared ashore Wednesday evening, was prepared for the worst and was spared from the catastrophic storm surge predicted. But the storm swept across the rest of the state on its way to the Atlantic, packing winds that toppled trees and driving heavy rains inland and toward the East Coast.

    In central and eastern Florida, Milton triggered tornadoes that killed several people, according to authorities. Milton’s winds also toppled trees and killed people in their homes.

    The impact of Milton extended far beyond the country and included damaged buildings, overturned cars and flooded neighborhoods. Wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour were recorded in Mulberry, about 35 miles inland from Tampa. Just to the east, winds of 94 miles per hour swept across Bartow. At Melbourne Orlando International Airport on the east coast, strong winds ripped a huge 30-by-40-foot hole through the roof.

    Others inland fared better but still faced power outages and some blocked roads. In Marion County, which includes Ocala about 100 miles northeast of Tampa Bay, there were downed power lines, trees and blown transformers Thursday, but no serious damage or injuries, officials said.

    “A lot of prayers have been answered,” said Richard McKendrick, a resident of Lakeland, Florida, about 40 miles inland from Tampa Bay.

    Prepared for the worst, relieved by Milton’s minimal damage

    In Lakeland Highlands, McKendrick, a 58-year-old lawyer, and his family were clearing debris around their property on Thursday. McKendrick, his wife, their 14-year-old son and a cat named Juno hid overnight, but as they drove through the neighborhood Thursday morning, they didn’t see much damage other than some downed branches and missing roof shingles. Their neighborhood is elevated, so there was no flooding elsewhere.

    “We were really very blessed. This could have been a lot worse,” McKendrick told USA TODAY.

    The power went on and off throughout the night, McKendrick said, but he didn’t need to use his generator. He has lived in Lakeland for 27 years and said Milton was not as bad as some previous hurricanes, despite some strong wind gusts that kicked in around 1:30 a.m. He was prepared for the worst, but said the scariest part of the hurricane was the unknown.

    “When you’re in the middle of it, you just deal with it,” he said.

    There were downed trees, damaged homes and flooded roads across Polk County, which includes Lakeland. One person died in a traffic accident related to the storm, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said. The Lakeland Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that airboat rescues were underway at Melody Acres Mobile Home Park.

    Thousands without power, roads flooded, homes damaged in inland Florida

    While the west coast of the state Although the storm bore the brunt of Hurricane Milton, it also left inland counties like Polk a damp, windswept and dark mess.

    The center of the storm pushed its way through the heart of Polk County, located in central Florida, around 11 p.m. Wednesday, sending wind gusts of nearly 100 miles per hour through the area, according to Paul Womble, the county’s emergency management director. The storm also dropped more than a foot of rain across the county, inundating historically flood-prone areas, Womble said.

    “We have a large, large portion of our county that is essentially underwater,” said Womble, who arrived at the emergency center at 5 a.m. Wednesday and has not been home since.

    As the storm made its way, TThe Polk County Sheriff’s Office said units would not be able to clear hazards such as downed trees and power lines until conditions calmed down.

    An evacuation was not mandatory, as was the case in some places along the coast, but Womble said officials encouraged anyone living in mobile homes, RVs and areas where flooding typically occurs to seek shelter elsewhere . He said more than 6,500 people, including some from neighboring counties, weathered the storm in the county’s 20 shelters, but they began quickly leaving as early as Thursday.

    As officials began assessing the damage, nearly half of the region’s electricity customers remained without power Thursday, according to a statewide power outage tracker from USA TODAY Network-Florida.

    Womble said search and rescue operations were one of the main focuses of recovery efforts Thursday, and officials were also working to restore power and cell service.

    “Full recovery, particularly after such impacts, could potentially take years,” he said.

    Meanwhile, officials in neighboring Hardee County, where emergency services were suspended for several hours overnight because dangerous winds posed a threat to first responders, urged residents Thursday to stay home while emergency crews began assessing road conditions Emergency management officials were assessing and turning off streetlights throughout the county. Almost all of the district’s 9,640 electricity customers not had Do Thursday.

    And in Lake County, flooding in Milton caused nearly 2 million gallons of wastewater to leak from a wastewater treatment plant in Leesburg. Flooding caused the emergency generator to short out, resulting in an oil spill. Roads have been inundated by flooding and blocked by trees, and in some areas wind conditions are still too dangerous for crews to restore power to the more than 100,000 customers affected by outages. Public schools will remain closed for the rest of the week.

    In Belleview, outside Ocala, Police Chief Terry Holland said Thursday that some streets in his city were blocked by fallen trees and there was a tree on top of a home. Dunnellon Mayor Walter Green said power outages had affected most city residents since Wednesday evening. A tree fell on a home and a woman was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

    Tornadoes devastate Florida’s east coast

    A suspected tornado that blew through Cocoa Beach in Brevard County destroyed several homes and buildings. The roof of a Wells Fargo blew off and a Supercuts was destroyed. Even the mayor’s house was damaged. A hotel in Grant was flooded and had to be evacuated. Roads from Satellite Beach to Rockledge were flooded.

    In St. Lucie, Nancy Larson and her grandson drove Thursday morning to see what their area looked like after the hurricane.

    When she arrived at Lakewood Park Church in Fort Pierce, she began to cry. The church she had attended for more than a year and where her grandson was recently baptized was destroyed.

    The church is next door to Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, where four people were killed Wednesday when a tornado sparked by Hurricane Milton touched down unexpectedly.

    A large portion of the sanctuary’s roof was torn off, windows were shattered, several large trees were uprooted and thrown around the property, including one that was stuck in the windshield of a Lexus that had been left in the parking lot.

    “It’s devastating,” Larson told Treasure Coast Newspapers, part of the USA TODAY Network. “Destructive”

    USA TODAY Network Contributors: Blake Fontenay, Adam L. Neal and Jon Santucci, Treasure Coast Newspapers; Jim Ross and Austin L. Mimller, the Ocala Star banner; Michelle Spitzer, Florida Today; the Lakeland Ledger; Julie Garisto, the Leesburg Daily Commercial

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Caradoc Wyn
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads