Hurricane Milton roared across the midsection of Florida late Wednesday and into Thursday, sparking tornadoes and leaving at least several people dead.
The hurricane intensified rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico and while it lost it some force by the time of landfall, still packed a significant punch for many Floridians, especially those who also were in the path of Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.
Satellite photos reveal the destruction to property and buildings left by Milton.
Siesta Key, Fla.
Milton came ashore near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, a barrier island of white sand beaches on the Gulf Coast.
Siesta Key on Friday reopened to residents and business owners, but not visitors. There are concerns that the beaches lost sand coverage, given the one-two punch from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, and Milton this week. Some residents reported to the Tampa Bay Times significant flooding in their houses twice in less than a month, after rarely experiencing such an occurrence — if at all — over a period of decades.
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Tampa Bay Rays said it may take weeks to fully assess how much damage was done to Tropicana Field, which saw its roof ripped to shreds. Roof panels were blown apart, with much of the debris falling on the field and seats below, though no one was injured.
The ballpark was going to serve as a “temporary base camp” to support debris cleanup operations and temporarily house some first responders. But those plans were changed as the storm neared, with concerns that the roof wouldn’t hold up.
The roof was designed to withstand wind of up to 185 km/h, according to the American League baseball team, who aren’t scheduled to play in the building again until March 27, 2025, for their regular season home opener.
Alfred Whitted Airport
Located just a few kilometres from Tropicana Field, the airport recorded winds that reached a peak of 162 km/h. According to posts on the Facebook account, Friends of Alfred Whitted Airport, several buildings and some aircraft sustained damage.
Anna Maria Island
City workers on Anna Maria Island, located south of Tampa-St.Pete and north of Sarasota, were grateful to be spared extensive flood damage. Two weeks ago, Helene battered buildings and blew in piles of sand up to 1.8 metres high. Those piles may have helped shield homes from further damage, officials said.
“I’m shocked it’s not more,” city worker Kati Sands said on Thursday as she cleared the streets of siding and broken lights. “We lost so much with Helene, there wasn’t much left.”
Clearwater, Fla.
In addition to property damage, Clearwater was hit by flooding and was the site of one of the earliest known, and perhaps largest, rescue operations. Some 500 people were rescued at a flooded apartment complex and surrounding areas early Thursday. A Wednesday night operation was not possible, local media reported, as winds swirled to up to 150 km/h.
Cortez, Fla.
Insured losses for Hurricane Milton are likely to range between $30 billion and $60 billion US, the credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS said on Friday.
The agency had estimated insured losses could reach $100 billion earlier this week, if Tampa Bay suffered a direct hit, which it did not. Hurricane Ian in 2022 has been reported as the costliest in state history, with estimates of about $114 billion in damages.
