Hurricane Milton roared through central Florida late Wednesday into Thursday, spawning tornadoes and killing at least several people.
The hurricane intensified rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico, and although it had lost some strength by the time it made landfall, it was still a major blow to many Floridians, especially those who were also in the path of Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.
Satellite images reveal damage to property and buildings left by Milton.
Siesta Key, Florida
Milton landed near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, a barrier island with white sand beaches on the Gulf Coast.
On Friday, Siesta Key reopened to residents and business owners, but not visitors. There are concerns that beaches have lost a layer of sand following the double blows of Hurricane Helene on September 27 and Milton this week. Some residents told the Tampa Bay Times they had experienced major flooding in their homes twice in less than a month, though flooding has occurred rarely – if ever – in the past few decades.
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Tampa Bay Rays officials said it could take weeks to fully assess the damage caused to Tropicana Field, which saw its roof torn to shreds. Roof panels were torn apart and most of the debris fell onto the field and seats below, although no one was injured.
The stadium was intended to serve as a “temporary base camp” to support debris removal operations and temporarily house several first responders. However, these plans changed as the storm approached due to concerns that the roof would not hold up.
According to the American League baseball team, which is not scheduled to play in the building again until March 27, 2025, for the first game of the regular season, the roof was designed to withstand winds of up to 185 km/h.
Alfred Whitted Airport
Located just a few kilometers from the Tropicana field, the airport recorded winds that reached maximum speeds of 162 km/h. Posts on the Friends of Alfred Whitted Airport Facebook account show that several buildings and some aircraft were damaged.
Anna Maria Island
City workers on Anna Maria Island, located south of Tampa-St.Pete and north of Sarasota, were grateful to be spared widespread flood damage. Two weeks ago, Helene destroyed buildings and dumped piles of sand up to 1.8 meters high. Officials say these piles may have helped protect homes from further damage.
“I'm shocked it's not more,” city worker Kati Sands said Thursday as she cleared streets of sidings and broken lights. “We lost so much of Helene that there wasn't much left.”
Clearwater, Florida
In addition to property damage, Clearwater suffered flooding and was the site of one of the earliest known and perhaps largest rescue operations. Early Thursday morning, about 500 people were rescued from the flooded apartment complex and surrounding area. Local media reported that Wednesday night's operation was not possible because winds were blowing at speeds of up to 150 km/h.
Cortez, Florida.
Ratings agency Morningstar DBRS said on Friday that insured losses from Hurricane Milton are likely to be between $30 billion and $60 billion.
Earlier this week, the agency estimated that insured losses could reach $100 billion if Tampa Bay was directly hit, which it was not. Hurricane Ian, which will arrive in 2022, was considered the costliest in the state's history, with damage estimated at approximately $114 billion.
