On Oct. 9, Hurricane Milton slammed into the coast of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane with winds ranging from 111-129 mph. Before the storm hit, people prepared by gathering their belongings, securing doors on their property, boarding up windows, and in some cases leaving their homes to flee other states.
While the people of Tampa prepared to evacuate their homes, emergency personnel set up a basecamp to house first responders. Originally, the base camp was supposed to be in Tropicana Field because “The roof on that … I think it’s rated for 110 mph and so the forecast changes, but as it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude … they redeployed them out of Tropicana”said Governor of Florida Ron Desantis (APNews).
As a result of Milton’s force, changing locations was a good decision. 3.2 million people lost power and the hurricane caused damage to many structures including Tropicana Field’s roof being shredded, according to CBS News.
Fortunately, no one was injured at the ballpark. However, “We are working with law enforcement to secure the building,” said the Tampa Bay Rays.
Damage due to Hurricane Milton is estimated to cost $50 billion, joining the ranks of Hurricane Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey, as one of the most destructive storms, according to WLKY.
If you want to learn more about the tornado that tore through Florida, check out Kathryn Hall’s article “Hurricane Milton Tornado Tears Through Florida” on the Falcon Flyer.
