James Lee Butler, 53, was arrested Thursday in the death of 32-year-old Aaron Reed, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. James Lee Butler [ Pinellas County Sheriff's Office ]Shortly after 8:30 p.m. Dec. 15, Butler called 911 to report a dead man on the 5100 block of 68th Street North, the news release states. Butler said the man, later identified as Reed, was his tenant and lived in a detached shed on the property. When deputies arrived, they found Reed “suffering from multiple gunshot wounds,” and he was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the sheriff’s office, Butler told detectives he had just returned home after being released from jail when he found Reed dead on the living room floor. He said he had no idea who would want to harm Reed, the news release states. The sheriff’s office did not release further details about the investigation, but an arrest report for Butler made public on Friday sheds more light on the case. According to the report, Butler and Reed lived on the same property but in different structures. Shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 14, Reed was sitting on a couch in the living room of the trailer where Butler lived when Butler “brandished a firearm” and shot him in the left side of the head, the report states. The round traveled into Reed’s upper left shoulder, and detectives in the report described the projectile as a shotgun slug fired at close range. A secondary wound was found on the right side of Reed’s face, and investigators determined it was fired at intermediate range. That shot grazed Reed’s right arm before entering the right side of his face and neck area, the report states. Both rounds were consistent with .410 shotgun shells, the report states. Investigators found an empty box of Winchester .410 ammunition in Butler’s bedroom, and forensic testing showed “very strong support” that he was a contributor to the DNA on the box. Additionally, a sweatshirt found in Butler’s vehicle that he drove that night tested positive for gunshot residue, according to the report. On Feb. 12, the property owner found a gun on the lot while repairing the residence to be rented after Butler moved out. The gun and the shell casings inside were consistent with Reed’s injuries and matched the manufacturer of the ammunition found in Butler’s bedroom, the report states. Butler “denied any knowledge or handling of firearms,” according to the report. Records show Butler was being held Friday at the Pinellas County Jail without bond. Emily WunderlichMidday Editor Drivers along 54th Avenue North who cross the railroad tracks by Lealman Fire Rescue Station No 18 may notice an angled road that parallels the path of the tracks for a few blocks Located immediately south of 43rd Street North a sign denotes this narrow road as “Main Street.” this short street once served as a commercial hub of the original Lealman community Named in honor of pioneer farmer Elza Beasley Lealman this area flourished as an agricultural settlement before St Known today as the separate areas of West Lealman and Lealman these communities existed as a single entity until recently The earliest pioneers settled in Lealman before any of the adjacent cities — Kenneth City Lealman originally included all of Pinellas Park and Sawgrass Lake stretched westward through Kenneth City toward Cross Bayou His father Thomas was a carpenter from England Elza moved across the Georgia-Florida state line in the 1840s marrying Elenar Deis in Hamilton County in 1848 Elza acquired 40 acres of farm land in April 1859 from the land office in Newnansville this office offered acreage to white male citizens of Florida who promised to cultivate at least five acres and serve in a militia to suppress uprisings These uprisings often came from people whose ancestors had lived on the land now occupied by Euro-Americans like Elza and did not want to surrender their land this north-central Florida county had 2,303 residents on the eve of the Civil War more than six times the population that lived along the Pinellas peninsula at that time At least 250 white men left Suwannee County to fight for the Confederacy between 1861 and 1865 Elza Lealman stayed at home and became a leader in the new county during this time of turmoil Lealman served as sheriff from 1862 until 1864 He also held the office of tax collector for an unknown period of time he had to pledge his loyalty to the Confederacy No existing Suwannee County records describe Lealman’s governmental service or the number of constables or officers who worked with him during the war years The Lealmans decided to leave their Suwannee County farmstead They moved to what was then a sparsely settled area — now the most densely populated county in Florida The Lealmans reached the Pinellas peninsula by 1872 fewer than 900 people lived within the boundaries of present-day Pinellas County In addition to having no neighbors for miles the man who left his name on such a large area left few records of his existence Incomplete and inconsistent genealogical records obscure the family’s history The 1880 census places Elza in western Hillsborough County (now Pinellas although no existing newspaper articles contain his obituary or mention his wife’s passing The 1850 census records his last name as “Lealman,” but his first name as “Elsey.” His wife known as “Lenora” in some genealogical indexes is referred to as “Elinor.” The last names of “Elsie” and “Ellenor” are written as “Lellman” in 1860 “Edward” and “Elander” remained “Lellman.” “Eliza Lellman” had a son named “Eliza” Jr The junior Lealman entered the world in 1872 when the family lived at Allen’s Creek a little more than a mile south of present-day Clearwater Mall Other documents refer to the family as “Lallman.” Elza Jr even misspelled his last name as “Lellman” on the World War I civilian draft registration card he completed in 1918 it is no surprise that some older maps describe the area as “Lellman.” Official property records today continue to identify some subdivisions as “Lellman Heights.” After living near Allen’s Creek and Upper Tampa Bay for a couple of years They settled near the intersection of 37th Street and 58th Avenue North (formerly Lealman Avenue) the nearest stop northwest of that then-remote settlement was listed as “Lellman’s.” Known as a flag stop or signal stop the train only stopped this location when passengers along the platform waved at the locomotive or those on the train requested to leave Regular railroad service led to the expansion of farms and groves The depot near Lealman’s Main Street became the location where the Lealman family and other locals shipped their agricultural products Many early residents assume that the younger Elza Lealman deserves credit for the community’s name He sold many of his holdings in the Lealman area in the mid-1920s before moving to a home on Tangerine (18th) Avenue South Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times) claimed the younger Elza’s expertise as a farmer forged the agricultural community’s identity He had to learn farming techniques at a young age His mother had passed away before his 8th birthday and the senior Elza probably perished during junior’s early teenage years he may have died before the Orange Belt bisected it 1931 obituary in the Times credits the younger Lealman — who was no older than 16 when the railroad arrived — as the reason the area received this name The junior Elza married Minnie Lee Archer in October 1896 Daughter of William Augustus Archer and Hattie Archer Minnie hailed from one of the first families to settle in the Seminole area Her mother’s family lived there in the 1850s Elza and Minnie started a family at Lealman Heights Minnie’s parents also acquired property in Lealman Members of the Archer family operated a nearby sawmill after an earlier Lealman lumber mill had moved closer to Disston City (now Gulfport) in 1901 to provide wood for that city Minnie soon grew tired of the demands of farm life at Lealman In what must have been a scandal at the time Minnie left Lealman Heights and moved into a St Similar to the spelling variations common with her spouse some genealogical records referred to her as “Maud” or “Allen.” Elza and Maude are buried at Sunnyside Cemetery this cemetery became a burial site for many Lealman pioneers long before St Petersburg annexed it and nearby subdivisions Petersburg streets had their origins as Lealman lanes Early Lealman settlers often fished along Long Bayou and the mostly uninhabited coastal islands When crews built the first simple bridge across Long Bayou (before Bay Pines was known by that name) they referred to the structure as the “John’s Pass bridge.” Even though the bridge did not cross John’s Pass where a “John’s Pass” post office opened in the Oakhurst area nearly four miles away from the actual John’s Pass Long before Tyrone Boulevard or Park Street existed Petersburg to Seminole in 1911 required a trip through Lealman The route followed a lane known as John’s Pass Road this east-west road through farmland and fields became a two-lane dirt road by 1910 crews added crushed shells to this muddy road A half-mile north of John’s Pass Road another east-west lane once brought Lealman pioneers to a popular bayside fishing site; today old-timers called this path that cut across early farms and groves Clearview Avenue Agriculture thrived throughout Lealman in the early 1900s Elza Lealman planted strawberry fields that competed against those in Plant City Groves covered acreage south and west of Sawgrass Lake Two turpentine mills operated in Lealman at this time The first substantial annexation of Lealman lands occurred in October 1914 when some property owners incorporated their croplands and budding sugarcane fields as Pinellas Park Petersburg’s City limits began to absorb former areas of Lealman as farms gave way to homes Martin and Susan Mohr arrived in Lealman in 1890 two years after the Orange Belt Railway began service They established an egg farm at 46th Avenue and 40th Street North a little south of the Main Street railroad depot regularly sailed around John’s Pass to collect shells for his mother He sometimes traveled as far as Sanibel Island and Cedar Key to gather shells shipping them by rail to customers throughout the country They sold acreage for chicken farms in the area they described as “Lellman.” By March 1914 “We are the largest poultry raisers in South Florida.” They pledged that a 5-acre tract could accommodate a home When not selling chicken farm lands from their Central Avenue office the Mohrs served as leaders of the Lealman Poultry Association Few agricultural landmarks remain in Lealman Small schools in the groves have disappeared which originally opened in 1927 at the present site of New Heights Elementary School The small railroad depot along Main Street burned down in April 1907 Kenneth City and other municipalities have carved away much of the original Lealman settlement. Nevertheless, newcomers continue to plant their roots in this area. Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian immigrants harvest herbs in their backyard gardens. Lealman’s landscape is diverse by James Schnur Support The Gabber Newspaper Your donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law The Florida Community News Fund is a program administered by the Florida Press Foundation All donations made at this link go to The Gabber Newspaper through the Florida Press Association Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , Watch our LIVE streaming Gulfport Florida Webcams! Gulfport Casino Webcam Gulfport Beach Webcam Marina East Webcam Marina West Webcam Downtown Gulfport Webcam © 2025 All Rights Reserved | The Gabber Newspaper FloridaServing South Pinellas County and our Gulf Beaches in Florida including South Pasadena Millions of Floridians remained without power Friday morning after Hurricane Milton plowed its way out of the state and into the Atlantic Ocean Ron DeSantis noted Milton was not as severe as he and other officials had feared but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario," DeSantis said at a briefing Thursday He cited the storm weakening before landfall and said the storm surge "as initially reported has not been as significant overall as what was observed for Hurricane Helene." DeSantis said Tampa experienced a reverse storm surge that drove water away from the shoreline rather than overwhelming the city On Thursday, power outages inched higher as the storm exited off the eastern coast of the state Keeping up with Hurricane Milton? Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter for exclusive weather analysis Hurricane Milton: Milton caused heavy damage. But some of Florida's famous beaches may have gotten a pass. Florida power outage mapAs of Friday morning, 2.2 million Floridians were still without power, according to the USA TODAY power outage tracker The west-central coast continues to be the hardest hit with 483,225 residents in Hillsborough County and another 460,544 in Pinellas County still in the dark 152,471 residents in Sarasota County and 129,181 in Manatee County were without power Friday morning 139,835 home and businesses were without power in Volusia County restoration efforts will be launched in force wherever and whenever it is safe to do so The company has deployed a force of about 17,000 people to assess damage coordinate with local emergency responders and downed trees and tornadoes are presenting restoration challenges damage-assessment teams across the state are helping FPL to send the right personnel and right equipment to the right places to restore power safely and as quickly as possible," FPL said in a statement Power restoration will be prioritized to restore power to the largest number of customers as quickly as possible. According to FPL, priorities are given to: Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY Pinellas County residents will soon get an app to identify their climate risks The National Science Foundation awarded researchers at the University of South Florida and Georgia Tech $1.5 million to create the web-based system Pinellas residents will be able to upload photos and videos of things like local flooding and the app will use each image’s geotag to log the location The system will combine the community crowdsourced data with near real-time data on flooding It will estimate water elevation for flood models to then inform emergency managers and policymakers "To solve the problem of flooding and climate-related disasters, and make community resilient, we need to figure it out how to connect the people with the decision maker, so appropriate resources and information can be distributed," said USF St. Petersburg geographic information systems professor Barnali Dixon Petersburg's Childs Park neighborhood to prepare for extreme storm events "We actually ran around and mapped all of the storm drains that were clogged,” Dixon said And we also do lots of environmental hazards participants can currently use maps to see their risk of storm surge and sea level rise They can also share their own information and suggest ways to improve the system “We have used the application at all our community town halls,” said Erica Hall executive director of the Florida Food Policy Council this will help communities tremendously to understand the connection between sea level rise Some coastally vulnerable neighborhoods also show food insecurity health disparities and environmental justice concerns Having CRIS map those concerns tells a story that will allow the community to understand.” USF and Georgia Tech researchers will continue to work with community partners in Childs Park and expand to other coastally vulnerable areas of Pinellas Dixon said she expects the new app to be ready in a few years and that she hopes this model can eventually reach outside of the county across the region She explained what prompted her to create these systems “Most often policies are actually developed one size fits all," Dixon said so each community has their different needs And for us to be able to customize those policy solutions to meet the unique needs of our communities we need to have the data so we can see what's going on.” Text “RECOVER” to 888777 for latest storm-related financial assistance info or visit recover.pinellas.gov businesses and visitors online access to permitting The tourism site Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is the county’s main resource for visitors Unincorporated refers to property not within city limits. Services for unincorporated areas, as well as some services for incorporated areas, are provided by the County. If you live in an unincorporated area, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners serves as your local government Use the tool below to learn if your address is in unincorporated Pinellas County or one of the municipalities and see a list of service providers and elected officials for your address Enter your full address including the city then click Submit Lookup Use the Pinellas County Public WebGIS application to see boundaries for unincorporated Pinellas County and all the municipalities After you open the app use the map layers to turn on the boundaries you want to see Four of Pinellas County’s seven commissioners are elected from single-member districts in which they must reside but must reside in the geographic district they represent Assistants to the County Administrator are assigned to specific geographic areas of the county to provide additional resources for these communities Click on the map image to see the areas each Assistant to the County Administrator is assigned to or find a list of their areas and contact information in the blocks below Central and South County Resources Lealman Resources North County Resources Municipal Services Taxing Units (MSTUs) are defined geographic areas of unincorporated Pinellas County that receive specific government services recreation and community engagement opportunities for residents in unincorporated areas of Pinellas County Enter your email address to stay updated on the latest county news If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request do not send electronic mail to this entity contact this office by phone or in writing Report it to Pinellas County Government using the web page below or via our mobile app Live Chat PETERSBURG — The city may shut off two of its three sewage plants ahead of Hurricane Milton Petersburg’s residents would not be able to flush toilets or take showers for at least 24 hours Mayor Ken Welch announced the possibility at a news conference Monday evening as Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened in the gulf with a track toward Florida’s west coast With potential storm surge of 10 to 15 feet more than what Hurricane Helene brought two weeks ago the city will “most likely” have to shut off the northeast and southwest sewage plants City officials said they they can’t operate in that much flood water residents would not be able to put anything down the drain for at least 24 hours “Please keep that in mind when making your preparation plans,” Welch said He said a decision to shut down the plants will be made closer to the storm’s landfall late Wednesday once officials have a better idea of where the storm is headed That decision would be made to protect equipment from further damage City Administrator Rob Gerdes said toilets could continue to flush for a while after the system is shut off “but at some point they will start to back up.” you may not have sewer and you may not have potable water,” Gerdes said During Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, the city decided at the peak of the storm to shut off the northeast sewage plant, affecting 25% of the city’s residents. The sewage plant came back online 24 hours later, ahead of an anticipated 48-hour window, though it leaked 1.02 million gallons of sewage into Placido Bayou Some homes in North East Park had sewage seep up through shower drains and below toilets St. Petersburg has known for at least two years that its northeast sewage plant was at risk of being vulnerable to storm surge. Pinellas County Commissioners recently approved several comprehensive plan changes and land use amendments to foster revitalization across a historically underserved Three proposed zoning changes encompassing hundreds of acres in Lealman passed unanimously at the Nov Commissioners also heard two items related to a new 122-page form-based code they believe will produce more consistent and predictable development patterns “This is such a big area that we’re talking about – it’s all of Lealman for your form-based code,” said County Attorney Jewel White which would occur for about a month if you were to take action on the land use tonight and not the zoning until December.” and the sweeping changes will take effect Jan Over 171 acres about six miles northwest of downtown St Petersburg previously zoned for residential office and retail uses will now become multimodal corridors and target employment centers County officials moved the previously recommended plans forward without discussion Commissioner Charlie Justice expressed his hopes for the area in a conversation with the Catalyst “I want the folks who live there now to have some of the same exact opportunities as the people who live just a couple of miles away,” Justice said but we also want some jobs right there in the local community.” Over 30,000 people live in Lealman, and many lack sufficient housing, employment and grocery options County leaders have recently spent considerable time and money to uplift the community redevelopment area (CRA) Three new mixed-use corridor designations will incentivize housing developments and allow much-needed commercial uses and job creation Many downtrodden residential areas can soon feature low-to-mid-rise street-oriented buildings with “activated” retail and public spaces Justice said the changes would foster walkability by widening sidewalks and incorporating other pedestrian amenities He also noted the importance of site orientation County planning agency Forward Pinellas established specific building requirements to maximize façade lengths and pedestrian access by limiting off-street parking along property frontages Justice said the goal is to provide a “community feel.” people are going to be walking anyway because of need,” he added “But now we want to make it a little more convenient and aesthetically pleasing.” The land use amendments create three districts within the community – commerce neighborhood park (residential and arts) and an area designated for recreation or open space The area around Haines Road and 28th Street will feature most of the industrial zoning County officials will implement mixed-use commercial corridors along 34th Street (U.S Highway 19) and the Haines Road-54th Street-28th Street North triangle previously told commissioners that the updated zoning would allow up to five-story buildings according to lot size He explained that the form-based code is intentionally broad and supports most current and future uses Justice said the added flexibility would help stakeholders find creative solutions Form-based code documents state it “does not focus on rezoning existing single-family homes.” Justice said the changes only apply to new developments and extensive expansions or remodeling efforts Commissioner Charlie Justice (right) volunteers at a Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco County home in Lealman A related document notes that the changes are not meant to “further gentrify Lealman.” Justice said that is an ongoing concern as property values soar in St “That’s a challenge that any area that is improving faces,” he added Nicer new houses bring more tax revenue into the CRA … that money will be reinvested in infrastructure and improvements in Lealman.” president of the Foundation for a Healthy St discussed how a person’s zip code influences their life expectancy and future outcomes While Tomalin referred to predominantly Black St He said the extensive land use changes are “really all about just creating opportunities for the folks who live there “We (commissioners) are working on our part as far as the infrastructure parks and the community center,” Justice said “I haven’t given up on a grocery store That’s still something we talk about a lot.” So what happens to the existing housing in these new zoned commercial areas of 28th Street and Haines Road Are you going to tear out the trailer parks Are you going to force people to build them rent micro houses in their backyards to homeless Pretty sure if people built those they would be airbnbs or such I’ve been calling zoning everything for the last 4 years and I cannot get any answers to this People are forever crossing the Main Street Which Happens Alot… Cause thier on thier Cellphone The east side gets garbage pick up for $19 a month Too Many People are Getting Struck By Cars Add your idea below. Review Catalyst posting guidelines here. By posting a comment, I have read, understand and agree to the Posting Guidelines Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Students rocket toward STEM careers at community hub 2025 Florida legislative session extended through June 6 Multiple affordable senior housing projects advance  The Catalyst honors its name by aggregating & curating the sparks that propel the St Pete engine.  It is a modern news platform, powered by community sourced content and augmented with directed coverage your perspective and your spark to the St Pete Catalyst and take your seat at the table Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value" Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2020 The St Petersburg Group Enter the details of the person you want to share this article with Streets in Southwest Florida flooded after Hurricane Irma hit in September 2017 By Sarah Sell Community gathers to discuss flooding in their St Return to article listing Climate, Faculty, Science events and initiatives that make us distinct From groundbreaking research to inspiring student profiles we are dedicated to telling our campus' story and promoting its value to the greater Tampa Bay community and beyond research updates and public events in our Harbor Notes News and Harbor Notes Events newsletters Sign Up Copyright © 2025, University of South Florida. All rights reserved This website is maintained by Communications & Marketing The accreditation of this USF branch campus is a part of and depends on the continued accreditation of the University of South Florida 2022 at 4:50 pm ETThe new Tesla facility in Pinellas County will showcase the company's all-electric vehicles Tesla plans to open a 102,410-square-foot showroom and service center in the now-vacant Kane's Furniture liquidation store at 4601 34th St (Tesla)The massive box building that now dominates the corner of 34th Street North and 46th Avenue North has become an eyesore and a prime target for redevelopment Now business magnate Elon Musk will play a major role in revitalizing the disadvantaged Lealman community in Pinellas County The CEO of Tesla plans to open a 102,410-square-foot vehicle showroom and service center in the now-vacant Kane's Furniture liquidation store at 4601 34th St Truett Realty Group which is redeveloping the 4.2-acre property for Tesla received unanimous approval from Pinellas County to open the county’s first Tesla sales TRG closed on the property the last week in April The new Tesla facility will showcase the company's all-electric vehicles giving would-be Tesla owners a chance to test-drive and purchase new Teslas Current Tesla owners can have their vehicles maintained and repaired at the facility the footprint of the current building will be reconfigured to accommodate a 52,000-square-foot service and delivery operation The remaining enclosed air-conditioned space will be used to store about 170 vehicles The massive box building that dominates the corner of 34th Street North and 46th Avenue North has become an eyesore and a prime target for redevelopment as part of the mission of the 2,500-acre Lealman Community Redevelopment Plan area bounded by the city of Pinellas Park to the north Kenneth City to the west and the city of St the first in unincorporated Pinellas County is intended to address the area's blight and improve the quality of life in the community The community redevelopment area’s revitalization strategy includes reinvesting in Lealman’s commercial and residential properties while capitalizing on the area's environmental and recreational assets the adjacent 77,000-square-foot Lealman Exchange Community Center which includes a walking and biking trail that will connect to the Pinellas Trail Redevelopment projects are financed through tax increment financing (TIF) meaning that this investment will not only bring jobs to the area but also generate TIF dollars for the redeveloped area to reinvest once Tesla improves the property Tesla expects to employ about 50 new software and automotive technicians at the Lealman facility The Tesla facility is the kind of reinvestment in the economically disadvantaged community that Pinellas County leaders envisioned when they approved the Lealman CRA Redevelopment Plan in 2016 “The importance of this deal for Lealman cannot be understated," Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice said Lealman is on the rise and is ready to welcome business." The redevelopment plan provides a comprehensive framework for long-term economic development and revitalization over the next 30 years and places strict requirements on new and redeveloped sites requiring them to meet certain architectural standards accommodate green space and provide sidewalks and other pedestrian-friendly amenities “We’re thrilled to execute on an adaptive reuse project that will transform a building originally developed as a distribution center into a state-of-the-art Tesla facility," said TRG Principal Rob Truett "Our redevelopment projects are extremely rewarding as they provide a cost-efficient way to enter markets with high barriers to entry while promoting a sustainable environment.” He noted that county and CRA staff worked closely with TRG to obtain the approval of the Board of Adjustments and Appeals to allow for vehicle sales on the property which otherwise was not allowed due to its industrial zoning The property is situated just south of the five Crown new car dealerships on U.S giving Tesla an opportunity to attract people who are already out car shopping senior vice president and commercial banking team leader for Valley Bank said the bank was eager to finance the project which places a priority on financing projects that support communities with incomes lower than the county average Simler said Valley Bank has a long-standing relationship with Truett and his partner “Our strong history with Rob and Jacob was a major driver in financing this project,” he said “We especially value his focus on redevelopment projects that drive economic and beautification efforts for underserved communities This is the second CRA-classified Tesla Center that we have financed.” Kane's Furniture plans to keep its showroom next door at 4501 34th St open and Kane's CEO Irwin Novack said the company is looking forward to the arrival of Tesla “We welcome Tesla to the neighborhood and are confident that they’ll be great corporate citizens and a major asset to Pinellas County," Novack said TRG expects to begin construction this summer and open in 2023 or 2024 This project marks the company’s fourth Tesla redevelopment project since 2021 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County as a Category 3 around 8:30 p.m Wednesday and in the hours that followed tore a path across the state leaving millions of Floridians without power The storm pounded the state on three fronts Wednesday and overnight into Thursday where hundreds of thousands of residents were under a mandatory evacuation The north side of Milton dumped incredible amounts of fresh water — around 17 inches in parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties In just six hours — that led the National Weather to declare a rare flash flood emergency ripped off a section of the roof at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg and toppled a massive construction crane into a downtown building nearby it was the several feet of storm surge along the coast that brought reports of flooding but early images showed sea water rushing into Charlotte Harbor in the central and eastern parts of the state Dozens of them touched down around the state A crane is seen across 1st Avenue South near the Tampa Bay Times offices It looks like the crane broke apart at 400 Central Residences as Hurricane Milton’s strong winds tore through the area Thursday [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]In front of the Tampa Bay Times office remnants of a crane lay across First Avenue South smoke billows out of the corner of the building and alarm lights are flashing after the crane appears to have smashed into the side of the building There’s a strong smell of gasoline in the air and the faint sound of alarms ring out In what appears to be an initial indication that the worst of Tampa Bay’s impacts from Milton will be wind — not surge — consider the St There appears to be little damage across the pier The scene would look drastically different here had the worst of the storms potential surge funneled through Before Milton even made landfall Wednesday evening, tornadoes were touching down across the state. The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, destroying homes and leaving some residents dead. “We have lost some life,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News All along the Grand Central district in downtown St downed trees and branches line almost every road fully grown oak trees were ripped from their roots and lay flat across the brick roads Many streets were impassable as winds continued to howl just before 1 a.m Petersburg’s beloved sports bar across from Tropicana Field Outdoor table tops and park benches are toppled on their sides as rain beats into the dining area Elaine Hoblitzell awoke at 11:30 Wednesday night In her bed on the seventh floor of Tampa General Hospital and knew something was wrong A 65-year-old cancer patient recovering from surgery Hoblitzell got up to go to the bathroom when she saw two to three inches of water pooling under her electrical hospital bed “All these cords were laying in the water and I thought they told her the water leaks had been going on all night and that they had nowhere to put the patients because the hospital was full All they could do was absorb the water with towels “The water is definitely coming through the water seals,” Hoblitzell said “It’s water blowing straight at the window.” — Michael Van Sickler A group is silohetted against a fallen crane along 1st Avenue South near the Tampa Bay Times offices The crane broke free from the south side of the 400 Central Residences as Hurricane Milton’s strong winds tore through the area Wednesday [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]The National Weather Service says it has received reports of multiple collapsed cranes due to high winds in St The roof of Tropicana Field is torn as Hurricane Milton passes Thursday [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]Downed light poles partially block the road along the new Gateway Expressway and Interstate 275 south sending rain flying horizontally across the pavement the tattered roof of Tropicana Field is a stark sign of the storm’s power Petersburg is shutting off potable drinking water service across the entire city at midnight The shutdown will remain in effect until necessary repairs can be completed which won’t happen until it is safe for city workers to be outside Affected areas may already be experiencing low water pressure or service interruptions Others will still be able to get water from their taps but should boil any water used for drinking cooking or brushing teeth until further notice further testing will be conducted to ensure water safety before lifting the boil water notice,” a city news release said the City will work around the clock to address this issue.” Updates will be provided through the city’s website and social media channels Nearly 2 million customers in Florida are out of power, as Milton’s winds and rain thrash across the state.See how many are out of electricity in your county in our power outage map.— Langston Taylor Milton is bringing “devastating rains and damaging winds inland over portions of Central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 p.m. advisory. A sustained wind of 58 mph and a gust of 82 mph were recently measured at Tampa International Airport. The storm was about 75 miles southwest of Orlando and moving east-northeast at 16 mph with 105 mph sustained winds. It is expected to maintain hurricane strength as it crosses Florida overnight. The hurricane center revised its storm surge forecast for Tampa Bay, saying the area can now expect 3-5 feet of surge. It canceled the storm surge warning for north of the Anclote River. — Emily Wunderlich View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike's Weather Page (@mikes_weather_page) Michael Kotler, a resident on the 12th floor of the McNulty building in downtown St. Petersburg, said he heard what he thought was thunder around 10 p.m. But it only happened once. He looked out of his window and saw a crane from the construction site of the Residences at 400 Central leaning against the office building 490 1st Ave which houses the offices of the Tampa Bay Times Mayor Ken Welch recommended on Tuesday that residents around three construction sites in downtown St Petersburg and one in the Carillon area should relocate or take other precautions because of safety concerns with high-rise cranes “We can confirm one crane cab in the upper section of the mast has fallen We are working with city officials and others to assess the situation,” said John Catsimatidis the tallest building in the city and the tallest residential building on Florida’s Gulf Coast A construction crane leans against the building at 490 1st Ave The building houses the offices of the Tampa Bay Times [ Courtesy of Michael Kotler ]11:03 p.m Roof damage at Tropicana FieldA large swath of the fabric roof at Tropicana Field has been ripped away according to eyewitness reports from downtown St The field at the stadium where the Tampa Bay Rays play had been filled with rows of cots on Tuesday as the ballpark became a staging site for workers tasked with tending to the tumult ahead It is unclear if the cots were still on the field when the roof was damaged Roof is gone at Tropicana Field #milton #rays Video by: Nick Friedman@mysuncoast @WESH pic.twitter.com/VME6Um351J #TropicanaField roof is coming off @RaysTheRoofTB pic.twitter.com/GNGpNcXiuV Eastern Hillsborough County has been drenched with 16 inches of rain in the last six hours, including 6 inches in the last hour, according to precipitation data collected in Dover Many roads are flooding in Tampa with a flash flood emergency from Hurricane #Milton. This car flooded out on N Lois Ave. Car is empty. Love coverage continues on @weatherchannel. pic.twitter.com/7xsV5RVNVs Flash Flood Emergency continues for Brandon FL, Lakeland FL and Palm Harbor FL until 4:00 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/R0rV8X1Q9n A flash flood emergency issued by the National Weather Service Tampa Bay office for Brandon Lakeland and Palm Harbor will be in effect until at least 4 a.m Petersburg and Clearwater has been extended to 2:45 a.m THIS IS INSANE! St. Petersburg has reported 5.09 inches of rain in ONE HOUR and 9.04 inches in3 hours.That’s more rare than a thousand year rain event!Thresholds for 1,000-year rain there:5.56”/1 hour7.16”/2 hours 8.50”/3 hours @MyRadarWX pic.twitter.com/9QUHYaXPed Milton was about 20 miles northeast of Sarasota and moving east-northeast at 16 mph The storm’s maximum sustained winds had dropped to 110 mph The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore reported live from the second floor of a parking garage in Charlotte Harbor after the first floor was completely inundated with storm surge Charlotte Harbor is south of where Hurricane Milton made landfall hours earlier Forecasters had been saying for days that the worst storm surge would be on the south side of the storm Live with @JimCantore in Port Charlotte, FL where the surge is rising from #HurricaneMilton pic.twitter.com/kJyk4OyuUL See the rising water in Charlotte Harbor with @JimCantore as Milton nears Florida: pic.twitter.com/DK3uYcEjWR The other side of the @Sunseeker harbor side. #milton surge and wave action. @StevePetyerak pic.twitter.com/SRzzBlqZAp Reports from the Bayshore Boulevard waterfront in Tampa in the same time period showed that the water level had dropped in Tampa Bay The bigger threat in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties appeared to be fresh-water flash flooding due to extremely heavy rainfall on the north side of Milton The water has been sucked out of Tampa Bay by Milton. Happened fast. pic.twitter.com/8ghtF5SZYx Hurricane Milton picking up quite a bit in Tampa along the Bay. pic.twitter.com/KUno8Pyc8S 🚨 STOP: Do not walk out into receding water in Tampa Bay - the water WILL return through storm surge and poses a life-threatening risk The National Weather Service has issued a rare flash flood emergency for St Between 10 and 14 inches of rain have fallen in the area A bulletin from the weather service offered a dire warning in all caps: “This is a particularly dangerous situation Seek higher ground now!” — Emily Wunderlich Flash Flood Emergency continues for Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL and Clearwater FL until 2:30 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/w2KDHMQKpp Almost 167,000 TECO customers have no power An additional 262,000 Duke customers in the Tampa Bay area also in the dark Petersburg and Clearwater has been extended until 11:30 p.m The National Weather Service says between 6 and 12 inches of rain have fallen as Milton’s northern eyewall moves through the area 🚨Major to locally catastrophic Flash flooding expected from metro Tampa area all the way to the east coast🚨6 hour rainfall totals of at least 5-8 inches with hourly rainfall in the 2-3 inches per hour range are expected. #Milton pic.twitter.com/sqiqBc4IFI This graphic from the National Hurricane Center shows Hurricane Milton's position and forecast track as of 8 p.m [ National Hurricane Center ]Milton has made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key in Sarasota County the National Hurricane Center reported at 8:30 p.m A message from @MayorKenWelch tonight: pic.twitter.com/tr8F5BCnKn Mayor Ken Welch said that first responders are off the roads in St Petersburg and are unable to respond to calls for help until weather conditions subside Welch advised those who need help to call 911 and “they will get to you as soon as it’s safe to do so.” — Colleen Wright and peak storm surge seems to be between Anna Maria Island in Manatee County and the Charlotte-Lee County line DeSantis said earlier today there were 116 tornado warnings the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management said an early estimate shows about 125 homes were destroyed from tornadoes most of them mobile homes in senior communities Florida currently has search and rescue resources staged and ready to start going out as soon as they are able to When talking about power outages and recovery DeSantis said the storm seemingly cutting east into Sarasota means it could run over a swath of rural areas whereas if it had entered at Tampa Bay and rode up Interstate 4 it could have been “millions and millions of people” affected DeSantis and Guthrie have been asking FEMA for the ability to change reimbursement for debris pickup offering potentially guaranteed rates to incentivize people from across the country to come to Florida and help Guthrie said the state is looking at putting in a request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to ask other states to come in with public works employees to help “We don’t know what might happen in the next 10 to 15 days,” Guthrie said ”We want to get some of this debris picked up again.” —Romy Ellenbogen Milton is expected to make landfall “just south of the Tampa Bay region” within the next hour or two according to the National Hurricane Center the storm was 30 miles west-southwest of Sarasota and moving east-northeast at 15 mph Its maximum sustained winds were still 120 mph and “little change in strength” was likely until landfall It is expected to remain a hurricane while it moves across Central Florida through Thursday Milton’s northern eyewall is beginning to move onshore near Tampa and St where an extreme wind warning is in effect The National Hurricane Center said the storm was 35 miles west-southwest of Sarasota and moving northeast at 15 mph It was packing maximum sustained winds of 120 mph More and more roads in Tampa Bay are closing as Milton approaches high winds and a downed power line have led to the closure of roads and lanes in the region according to a Pinellas County traffic tracker About 100 additional miles of roads are closed this evening compared to earlier this week An extreme wind warning is in effect for Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL until 9:30 PM EDT for extremely dangerous hurricane winds. Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW! pic.twitter.com/ddbaAC1rhl Petersburg and Clearwater are under an extreme wind warning until 9:30 p.m ”Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!” the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office wrote on X Police and firefighters have stopped responding to calls in some parts of Tampa Bay as conditions from Hurricane Milton worsened “First responders will seek shelter in police department buildings and fire stations and will return to the road to answer calls when conditions improve,” the city of Clearwater said in a news release Petersburg police were taken off the streets at 6 p.m. They will return to patrol “as soon as weather conditions improve.” Pasco County Fire Rescue suspended emergency responses across the county as it is no longer safe for emergency vehicles to be on the road please call 911 and provide details,” Pasco county said in a news release “We’re constantly monitoring weather conditions and emergency crews will respond as soon as it is safe to do so.” — Emily Wunderlich The city of St. Petersburg said it has shut off both the northeast and southwest sewage treatment plants to protect employees and equipment from Hurricane Milton’s “potential storm surge.” The announcement came at 5:46 p.m., earlier than the city previously said it would Starting at 7 p.m., residents in those service areas, about two-thirds of the city, are urged not to flush toilets, take showers or put anything down the drain. Repairs could take up to 48 hours once it is safe for crews to go back to the site. Residents can use this link to see if their homes or businesses are affected Read more here. — Colleen Wright At the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in downtown Orlando evacuees crammed the lobby bar as the first heavy bands from Milton arrived the hotel’s guests received messages from reception informing them the area was under threat of “tornadic activity” and invited to join staff in a secure second floor conference room staring up at the building’s only working televisions broadcasting weather updates while sharing stories of bumper-to-bumper traffic Many wondered how a massive storm like this could be happening again Lasagna and Salisbury steak were served out of to-go styrofoam containers while customers sipped on dirty martinis A man carried a giant plate of rice to a microwave several of which had been set up for guests to use during their stay Families played card games while dogs and their owners roamed the lobby nursed a bright crimson cocktail — tonight would be her third in the hotel after evacuating in the middle of the night from St ”We just moved here from North Carolina in August,” Smith said “We were planning on retiring here,” she said The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has taken all of its deputies off the road and will not respond to calls for service until after Hurricane Milton passes Petersburg announced it has shut off both the northeast and southwest sewage treatment plants take showers or put anything down the drain Repairs could take up to 48 hours once it is safe to go back to the site Residents can use this link to see if their homes or businesses are affected Clearwater and Largo has been extended until 7:45 p.m The warning also includes parts of Pasco County thunderstorms were producing heavy rain across the area The National Weather Service says 4-8 inches of rain have already fallen Flash Flood Warning including Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL and Largo FL until 7:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/nWGCjqulJA The National Hurricane Center expects Milton to make landfall “near or just south of the Tampa Bay region” tonight forecasters had decreased the predicted storm surge for the area Tampa Bay could still see up to 9 feet of surge Though Milton’s wind speeds are slightly slowing down, forecasters emphasized the storm will be at or near major hurricane strength at landfall. Read more here This story also has tips about what to do if your water is out or your home is severely damaged warns that Milton’s current path could create a higher surge in the Tampa Bay area While the National Hurricane Center has predicted that Milton will turn to the northeast “The surge threat remains high across the ENTIRE area including (and south) of Pinellas county. IF Milton delays its turn, the surge level will be higher in the Bay,” he wrote Most of Tampa Bay’s major bridges closed earlier today including the Howard Frankland and Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Florida Department of Transportation cameras show rain blanketing the Howard Frankland in torrents but the crashing waves seen in previous storms have yet to come But experts wonder: What will the bridges look like tomorrow Less intense storms like Helene and Debby have worn away at the Howard Frankland’s shoulder pulling the barrier wall partially underwater Higher storm surge could erode bridge surfaces and foundations more around Tampa Bay Read here about the fate of Tampa Bay’s bridges Power outages spread across Florida’s Gulf Coast as Milton inched nearer to landfall more than 86,000 customers in the state had no power — including nearly 16,000 TECO customers and more than 8,000 Duke customers in Pinellas County Hurricane Milton has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm but forecasters still expect it to be a “dangerous major hurricane” when it makes landfall in west-central Florida tonight Milton was about 100 miles southwest of Tampa and moving north-northeast at 17 mph with 125-mph winds Tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rainfall are ongoing and multiple tornado warnings are in effect across the state Read more here Hurricane Milton was about 120 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 16 mph with 130-mph winds Forecasters expect it to remain a “dangerous major hurricane” through landfall tonight The National Hurricane Center said that multiple tornado warnings are in effect across the state “If a tornado warning is issued for your area preferably away from windows and in an interior room not prone to flooding,” forecasters wrote in an update Nearly 10,000 TECO customers were without power just after 3 p.m as well as around 5,000 Duke customers in Pinellas County Both utility providers said ahead of Hurricane Milton that Tampa Bay residents should be ready to live without power for several days Duke is preparing for “more than a million outages” if the storm passes through both Tampa Bay and Orlando Strawberry Crest High School and Durant High School are full Erwin Technical College (special needs only) is also full there are “state shelters of last resort” here: Hillsborough County and their transportation partners have discontinued service to shelters due to the “onset of winds arriving.” — Paul Guzzo Clearwater and Largo are under a flash flood warning until 5:30 p.m The National Weather Service said 2.5-3.5 inches of rain have fallen “Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly,” forecasters wrote in an advisory Flash Flood Warning including Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL and Largo FL until 5:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/h2J8HmfMJa Milton is growing in size as it moves toward Florida’s West Coast hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from its center and .tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 250 miles It was about 150 miles southwest of Tampa and moving north-northeast at 16 mph with 130-mph winds Forecasters predict the storm will maintain 125-mph winds as a strong Category 3 when it makes landfall late tonight. Read more on the forecast here At a Tampa Holiday Inn brimming with evacuees the front desk clerks were busy but calm as the phone rang off the hook and guests posed nervous questions at the counter your keycards still work when the power goes out we’ll still serve free ice cream in the evening — as long as it lasts The lobby was full of parents trying to keep children entertained One family pondered hands of fanned-out cards while another stared down a board game so extensive it hung off the table men smoked cigarettes and watched the rain blow in As the wind started groaning louder outside If wind speeds become too dangerous and storm surge reaches as much as 5 the city will make the call to shut one or both sites down late Wednesday or early Thursday said at a news conference Wednesday that the plant’s operators at the Northeast and Southwest plants would be unsafe with that much surge He said there would be a 20- to 30-minute window between when the public is notified and when the plants are powered down residents in the area served by the plants should not flush toilets Tankersley said because many have evacuated there is capacity in the collection system Tankersley said the city’s third sewage site is not facing a potential outage because it is at a higher elevation You can see if your home or business would be affected by the sewage outage at this link here Mayor Ken Welch said residents should be prepared for water sewer and electrical service to be offline for days with electrical outages for possibly weeks Read more here. — Colleen Wright Environmental groups are worried about possible pollution impacts as Hurricane Milton is likely to pass directly over Bone Valley the heart of Florida’s phosphate mining and production 22 of Florida’s 25 phosphate waste piles are located in Hurricane Milton’s projected path over Manatee That’s according to the latest National Hurricane Center forecast and state environmental regulatory data as of Wednesday morning Full story here Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said Tuesday that storm-related issues likely “will dominate” the next legislative session whose tenure as Senate president will end after the Nov 5 elections but who has two more years in the Senate said damage from Helene and Milton likely will be the focus of the next legislative session “We’re going to have to start looking at … a whole new — this is my feeling — a whole new philosophy of reconstruction and resilience and resiliency in our state,” said Passidomo I think that’s going to dominate our next session.” Read more here from the News Service of Florida Ron DeSantis said Wednesday afternoon that weather conditions are starting to get hazardous in parts of Florida hours before the storm’s expected landfall ”You’re starting to see major weather events happen.” the governor said at a news conference just unbelievable tornados that we are seeing.” DeSantis said more than 30,000 people are now in shelters and urged people to head to shelters now if they are still able to safely do so DeSantis noted that the state has more than 50,000 linemen ready to go to work as soon as the storm passes Conditions are starting to deteriorate on Treasure Island. Heavy bands of rain, windy with gusts of up to 30 mph. If for some reason you are still on the island. LEAVE NOW. pic.twitter.com/ePnmTqWs5F Steve Zorn and Amie Spencer from Bradenton sat pensively in the lobby of the Wesley Chapel Hyatt Place Wednesday with their eyes trained on the front desk Sunday for just one night — Tuesday — thinking Milton would arrive sooner and the hotel had nothing available for Wednesday night “It was literally a 24-hour-a-day job for three days to find a place only to get kicked out,” Spencer said in a close-knit community called Terra Palms that rallied when one neighbor lost her roof during Helene the neighbors were hoping for a last-minute cancellation they would need to drive to Lakeland as the weather began to worsen Spencer had found the last room available at a Best Western there “There were no cancellations.” — Mark Katches was about 160 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 17 mph with 145-mph winds as of 1 p.m “Tropical storm-force winds are just offshore and now is the time to stay inside and away from windows,” forecasters wrote in an afternoon update Read more on the forecast here. — Jack Prator Urging people to leave as the evacuation window closed and the storm grew nearer Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said Tampa Police were even able to get the viral social media figure Lieutenant Dan “If we can get Lieutenant Dan to go to a shelter We have what you need to get out of harm’s way.” A TikTok video showed Tampa police Lee Chief Bercaw talking to him. But a post on X by a News Nation reporter said the social media figure was still on his boat A city spokesperson said he believed Dan told police he agreed to evacuate but had yet to do so Castor also also warned residents not to go back outside after the storm until city officials say it’s safe to do so All major bridges in Tampa Bay are now fully or partially closed joining the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway bridge The westbound lanes of the Gandy Bridge and the Courtney Campbell Causeway — heading toward Pinellas County — are now closed Those headed toward Hillsborough County can still cross the Gandy and Courtney Campbell A Florida Highway Patrol car sits at the top of the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway bridge on Wednesday after troopers closed it due to high winds from Hurricane Milton [ Florida Highway Patrol ]12:30 p.m Shelter space still availableHurricane Milton is fast approaching That doesn’t mean it’s too late to evacuate “We will never ever turn somebody away from a shelter,” Pasco County spokesperson Sarah Andeara said “If we’re in the middle of a storm and someone is seeking refuge Read more here Hillsborough County issued a warning “in anticipation of faulty cell tower service” and major flooding expected for the Hillsborough River at Morris Bridge and near Zephyrhills at the Hillsborough River State Park beginning Thursday evening The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge closed around 11:30 a.m Wednesday as winds began to pick up before Hurricane Milton’s landfall The bridge typically closes once wind speeds reach a sustained 45 miles per hour All three bridges across Tampa Bay — the Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges and the Courtney Campbell Causeway — are expected to close Wednesday afternoon as water levels rise and waves begin to crash against barrier walls A tornado touched down near State Road 80 near Clewiston Wednesday morning according to a photo posted by the National Weather Service in Miami The Tampa Bay area also faces the threat of tornadoes as Milton nears the area and is among several Florida counties under a tornado watch until 9 p.m Taken by Greg Travers on SR80 a few minutes ago! **Please take the Tornado Warnings we are issuing as fast as we can seriously!**This is a very favorable environment for quick-moving and dangerous Tornadoes. https://t.co/mROCXoeq8I pic.twitter.com/0AIX1iuOBl Floridians still have time to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton “There is high confidence that this hurricane is going to pack a major major punch and do an awful lot of damage,” DeSantis said but the best option might be to leave to a local shelter where there is still plenty of capacity About 31,000 people are currently sheltering at 149 locations across the state with capacity for well over 200,000 people The state also opened six additional shelters “of last resort” in and around Tampa Bay: Hard Rock Events Center Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa; LifeScience Logistics Punta Gorda; and Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus Those sites have generator power and Starlink internet connectivity The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus is equipped to shelter people with special needs but there are things there that will make it tolerable,” DeSantis said The state’s cleanup efforts reduced the debris on the barrier islands by about 50% More than 50,000 linemen from as far away as California are in the state making it the “largest staging of utilities and linemen in American history,” DeSantis said About 500 police officers from other states are also in the state to “maintain law and order” after the storm He said he spoke to President Joe Biden and is in regular contact with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials Pinellas County has announced that three shelters are now full Lealman Innovation Academy and Palm Harbor University Building 19 The county has 11 shelters still accepting residents. Find the full list here Hillsborough County Fire Chief Jason Dougherty said his department is prepared with shipment of four amphibious utility task force vehicles that arrived last night and overcome most any difficult obstacles,” he said “Consider them humanitarian monster trucks that can reach people in the most difficult situations.” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said to be smart Evacuate if told to do so and shelter in place “If you are the one who chooses to gamble and stay in an evacuation zone … it’s going to get really nasty and really dangerous to be outside,” he said Staying in place includes immediately after the storm when there will be downed power lines and trees TECO’s Mary Lou Carn said more than 5,000 utility workers are ready to respond the largest deployment they have ever assembled for a storm TECO will first restore power to places like hospitals and then to communication providers and places like grocery stores and gas stations Are you a Tampa resident with a hurricane-related question The city’s Emergency Hotline is open now until 10 p.m An apparent tornado formed in southeast Glades County and crossed Interstate 75 according to posts on X by the National Weather Service in Miami The posts included images that appeared to be from traffic cameras in the area TORNADO just crossed I-75! https://t.co/RZCkn3LlSn pic.twitter.com/27R33J02Kk Few cars traveled north on Interstate 275 this morning out of St but still just a handful idling at the red lights the parking lots of empty restaurants by the roadside The Howard Frankland Bridge was also deserted the few cars on the road leaving Pinellas County for Hillsborough but the dark bay water stirred only slightly as the winds remained minimal The blinking highway signs told a terse story: Tolls suspended Wednesday promised to be a day of last seconds Emergency management officials across the Tampa Bay region continue to urge residents in evacuation zones to head to shelters rather than try to ride out Hurricane Milton at home To ensure they have enough spaces available both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties announced this morning they would open three additional sites The new Pinellas shelters are: Palm Harbor Middle School Palm Harbor; New Heights Elementary School St Petersburg; and Fairmount Park Elementary School These general population shelters do not accept pets Find a full list of Pinellas shelters here The new Hillsborough shelters are Mulrennan Middle School Valrico (not pet friendly); Lockhart Elementary Magnet School Tampa (not pet friendly); and Collins PK-8 School Officials also noted that the Shields Middle School shelter in Ruskin was filled to capacity and Lealman Innovation Academy shelter in St Pinellas emergency management director Cathie Perkins pleaded with residents in mandatory evacuation zones to move before storm force winds whip up midday and sent a clear message: If you stay “This is unsurvivable,” Perkins said of potential wrath in low-lying areas About 8,000 people were already in the eight shelters the county has opened Charter buses run by the state will stop taking people to shelters after about 11 a.m Those seeking to flee can still get Lyfts and Ubers And as the storm nears — with high winds and flooding from devastating storm surge and heavy rain — authorities will have to pull first responders off the road “I don’t want you to find out what it feels like to be stuck in your home and have water rushing in knowing that you might not even be able to get a dial tone on your phone,” Perkins said The time to finish preparing for Hurricane Milton’s arrival is right now “Rush to complete all preparations to protect life and property in accordance with your emergency plan,” federal meteorologists wrote in an advisory “Ensure you are in a safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding Ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings.” As of 9 a.m., Milton was about 230 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at about 16 mph. Forecasters will release another position update at 10 a.m. Read more on the forecast here. — Max Chesnes A tornado watch has been issued for several Florida counties including Pinellas and Hillsborough A watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Florida until 9 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/1mcgtyl2Jd Hurricane Milton was about 250 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 16 mph with 155-mph winds as of the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m The peak surge forecast for the Tampa Bay area decreased slightly Read more on the latest advisory and forecast here. And here is a story about how precise storm surge levels are difficult to predict and how the worst of Milton’s surge flooding could be decided by just a few miles’ difference in track The Florida Division of Emergency Management was still offering bus service to take residents to emergency shelters on Wednesday morning Find the bus schedule for Hillsborough County here The division has also partnered with Uber to get a free trip to the nearest evacuation center tap Account on the bottom right and tap Wallet A list of state-approved shelters is at FloridaDisaster.org/Shelter-Status To request evacuation transportation in Pinellas County call Pinellas County Emergency Management at 727-464-4333 Regular Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority services have been suspended until further notice Pasco County Public Transportation has suspended its regular service contact Pasco County Customer Service at 727-847-2411 Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Emergency Service was operating until 8 p.m It did not have updated information available For more on how to evacuate, read on With Hurricane Milton threatening to hit the Gulf coast at Category 4 strength late tonight or early Thursday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister had a simple message at 6:35 a.m.: “If you need to get someplace safe for whatever reason, the time is now,” the sheriff said in a video posted on X. Shelter space nearby remained available throughout the Tampa Bay region Late Tuesday, Pinellas County opened a tenth shelter at Campbell Park Elementary, 1051 7th Ave. S in St. Petersburg. See all the open shelters here Hillsborough County had nine shelters open. Here’s an interactive map to see which one is closest to you Pasco County shelters had almost double the number of evacuees early Wednesday than they had Tuesday morning. But they still had thousands of available spaces. See the county’s evacuation zone finder for details Public transit systems have said they would provide rides to shelters until the storm prevents safe passage Pasco also announced that anyone seeking sandbags from public sites should do so before noon. More details here Residents planning to evacuate or making last minute preparations should keep in mind that the region’s major bridges are expected to be closed later today when conditions become hazardous close when waves from Tampa Bay begin to lap onto the roadway and become dangerous to drivers The Sunshine Skyway Bridge closes once wind speeds reach 45 miles per hour Those conditions are expected this afternoon before Milton makes landfall Milton was a “catastrophic” Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. advisory. The storm was about 300 miles southwest of Tampa and expected to make landfall late tonight or early Thursday as a “dangerous” major hurricane bringing “devastating” hurricane-force winds to portions of the Gulf Coast The Tampa Bay area remains in the cone of uncertainty The peak storm surge forecast for the region remains up to 15 feet “If you are in the Storm Surge Warning area this is an extremely life-threatening situation and you should evacuate as soon as possible if ordered by local officials,” forecasters wrote Though the advisory shows the storm making landfall near Sarasota as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of about 130 mph forecasters warned against focusing on the exact landfall point because the average error 24 hours out is about 40 miles And significant impacts from the storm extend well beyond the center Milton is expected to remain a hurricane as it cuts across the peninsula and bring “life-threatening” to inland areas Heavy rainfall through Thursday brings the risk of “catastrophic and life-threatening” flash flooding with moderate to major river flooding as the storm moves east “There is an area of heavy rain beginning to spread across portions of southwestern and west-central Florida out ahead of Milton and weather conditions will steadily deteriorate across portions of the Florida Gulf Coast throughout the day,” the advisory states A National Hurricane Center graphic shows Hurricane Milton's location and forecast cone as of 5 a.m [ National Hurricane Center ]A National Hurricane Center graphic shows the peak storm surge forecast for Hurricane Milton as of 5 a.m [ National Hurricane Center ]• • • 5 things to know about the 2024 hurricane season, according to forecasters. Forecasters predict ‘extremely active’ 2024 hurricane season. Here’s why. Could Tampa Bay flood insurance rise after a hurricane? A warning from Hurricane Ian Want to know what areas are flooding in Tampa Bay? Here’s where to look Checklists for building all kinds of storm kits. Tony Marrero is the criminal justice and breaking news reporter. Reach him at tmarrero@tampabay.com. Gabrielle Calise is a culture reporter who covers music, nostalgia and offbeat Florida trends. Reach her at gcalise@tampabay.com. Hannah Critchfield is an investigative reporter. She can be reached at hcritchfield@tampabay.com. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike's Weather Page (@mikes_weather_page) Roof is gone at Tropicana Field #milton #rays Video by: Nick Friedman@mysuncoast @WESH pic.twitter.com/VME6Um351J #TropicanaField roof is coming off @RaysTheRoofTB pic.twitter.com/GNGpNcXiuV Many roads are flooding in Tampa with a flash flood emergency from Hurricane #Milton. This car flooded out on N Lois Ave. Car is empty. Love coverage continues on @weatherchannel. pic.twitter.com/7xsV5RVNVs Flash Flood Emergency continues for Brandon FL, Lakeland FL and Palm Harbor FL until 4:00 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/R0rV8X1Q9n THIS IS INSANE! St. Petersburg has reported 5.09 inches of rain in ONE HOUR and 9.04 inches in3 hours.That’s more rare than a thousand year rain event!Thresholds for 1,000-year rain there:5.56”/1 hour7.16”/2 hours 8.50”/3 hours @MyRadarWX pic.twitter.com/9QUHYaXPed Live with @JimCantore in Port Charlotte, FL where the surge is rising from #HurricaneMilton pic.twitter.com/kJyk4OyuUL See the rising water in Charlotte Harbor with @JimCantore as Milton nears Florida: pic.twitter.com/DK3uYcEjWR The other side of the @Sunseeker harbor side. #milton surge and wave action. @StevePetyerak pic.twitter.com/SRzzBlqZAp The water has been sucked out of Tampa Bay by Milton. Happened fast. pic.twitter.com/8ghtF5SZYx Hurricane Milton picking up quite a bit in Tampa along the Bay. pic.twitter.com/KUno8Pyc8S Flash Flood Emergency continues for Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL and Clearwater FL until 2:30 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/w2KDHMQKpp 🚨Major to locally catastrophic Flash flooding expected from metro Tampa area all the way to the east coast🚨6 hour rainfall totals of at least 5-8 inches with hourly rainfall in the 2-3 inches per hour range are expected. #Milton pic.twitter.com/sqiqBc4IFI A message from @MayorKenWelch tonight: pic.twitter.com/tr8F5BCnKn An extreme wind warning is in effect for Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL until 9:30 PM EDT for extremely dangerous hurricane winds. Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW! pic.twitter.com/ddbaAC1rhl Flash Flood Warning including Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL and Largo FL until 7:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/nWGCjqulJA Flash Flood Warning including Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL and Largo FL until 5:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/h2J8HmfMJa Conditions are starting to deteriorate on Treasure Island. Heavy bands of rain, windy with gusts of up to 30 mph. If for some reason you are still on the island. LEAVE NOW. pic.twitter.com/ePnmTqWs5F Taken by Greg Travers on SR80 a few minutes ago! **Please take the Tornado Warnings we are issuing as fast as we can seriously!**This is a very favorable environment for quick-moving and dangerous Tornadoes. https://t.co/mROCXoeq8I pic.twitter.com/0AIX1iuOBl TORNADO just crossed I-75! https://t.co/RZCkn3LlSn pic.twitter.com/27R33J02Kk A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Florida until 9 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/1mcgtyl2Jd The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail is a linear created along a portion of abandoned railroad corridor Pinellas County Parks & Conservation Resources oversees the Trail’s maintenance and operating costs Do you want to stay updated on Pinellas Trail news? Sign up today Florida Statute 316.20655 Electric bicycle regulations – E-bikes are classified as bicycles under Florida law An electric bicycle or an operator of an electric bicycle shall be afforded all the rights and privileges (Please refer to basic rules and Florida statute 316.2065 F.S.) Nearly 700 markers are affixed to the pavement at 200- to 300-foot intervals along the Pinellas Trail from downtown St easily readable number that trail users can give to a 9-1-1 operator in case of an emergency to identify their exact location along the 47-mile trail to allow faster response times Contact Parks & Conservation Resources at (727) 582-2100 (select option #2) A weekly roundup of notable local real estate news A 4-bedroom, 3-bath home in the Old Northeast neighborhood of St. Petersburg has listed for $2.5 million. Located at 716 14th Avenue NE locally best known for designing the Don CeSar hotel on St The 3,259 heated square-foot structure includes a 1,594 square-foot main level a 1,305 square-foot second level and a 360 square-foot finished attic The restored and redesigned home combines architectural features from the past with modern designs and details of the present Features of the property include a wood burning fireplace The home was last purchased in 2022 for $2.3 million The listing is provided by Ali Bearnarth with Smith & Associates Real Estate Eighth floor downtown condo sells for $3 million A 2,475 square-foot corner unit on the eighth floor of One St. Petersburg, a 41-story high rise condominium at 100 1st Avenue N. 3.5-bath plus den residence with three private terraces offering expansive views of the St Highlights include 24” x 24” porcelain tile flooring throughout; a kitchen with European cabinetry top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances and Italian hand-blown glass light fixtures hanging over the center island; closets with custom built-ins; floor-to-ceiling glass windows; electric blackout shades in the owner’s suite and guest bedrooms; two protected parking spaces and a climate-controlled storage unit on the fifth floor Building amenities include 24/7 concierge service a 5,000 square-foot free-standing fitness facility private cabanas and an indoor/outdoor club room The seller purchased the unit for $1.42 million in 2018 The listing was provided by Jennifer Thayer with Keller Williams St Corey Smith with Charles Rutenberg Realty represented the buyer Retail property located on a corner lot at 5401 Seminole Blvd. Seminole sold June 12 for $2.5 million – $500,000 below the list price The one-story structure was built in 1986 and is situated on a 0.81-acre lot on the corner of 54th Avenue N and Seminole Boulevard The 4,800 heated square-foot building is 100% occupied owner of the Citgo gas station and Stop N Go convenience store holds a 20-year NNN C-store lease with four five-year options to renew Beach Pizza has operated from the property for more than a decade Commercial highlights include established regional operators solid customer base and strong Seminole retail submarket WG Davis Holdings LLC purchased the property in 2017 for $2.43 million Its owner controls dozens of fuel stations and convenience stores throughout the Tampa Bay area A bundle of properties located in the Historic Uptown neighborhood of St Petersburg have listed with an asking price of $3.25 million the sale includes a mix of apartments and single-family homes all located within a half mile of one another 1-bath single family house; a 350 square-foot 1-bedroom a 216 square-foot detached garage and 298 square feet of enclosed and open porch spaces 810 11th Street N is a two-building complex built in 1920 with five living units 816 11th Street N is a single-family home and 826 11th Street N is a three-building complex built in 1920 and 1935 with seven living units Combined there are four studio apartments; seven 1-bedroom on-site parking and laundry and potential garage income Olivehouse 123 LLC purchased the 9th Avenue and Jackson Street properties in 2014 for $142,000 11th Street Downtown Apartments LLC purchased the 11th Street properties in 2016 for $730,000 The sellers are represented by Dustin West and James Vestal with Verdad Commercial Real Estate A 4-bedroom, 3-bath home at 5375 40th Avenue N. in the East Lealman neighborhood of St the property includes 2,734 square feet of living space situated on Lake Hewett a privately owned three-acre spring-fed lake The fully-fenced property is situated on 0.88-acres of land including the addition of a concrete block primary suite in 2022 The space provides motorized black-out shades a walk-in closet with a customized closet system an expanded primary bathroom with an oversized shower and multiple shower heads dual vanities and a picturesque view of the professionally landscaped back yard Outside is a recently renovated covered patio with a stained wood ceiling an oversized saltwater pool with a sun shelf and spa and a dock for access to kayaking hurricane impact sliders and a full-home generator The property last sold in 2016 for $190,000 The listing is provided by Karen Lucas with Lucas Group Realty Inc Three Koozie Group properties sell for $36 million Scribe Propco Inc., doing business as Koozie Group – a supplier of promotional products – closed June 20 on the sale of three manufacturing and industrial properties in Clearwater and St Petersburg for a total price of $36 million.  Clearwater is a two-story light manufacturing property built in 1986 and situated on a 13.63-acre parcel of land including 56,922 square feet of manufacturing space and 31,382 square feet of office space Clearwater was built in 2001 and is a two-story light manufacturing property situated on 2.12 acres The 44,543 square feet of heated space includes 15,495 square feet of manufacturing space 11,756 square feet of office space and a store sales area of 17,292 square feet Petersburg is a two-building property on 10.74 acres with a combined 152,495 heated square feet Building 1 is a two-story structure built in 1981 and Building 2 is a one-story structure built in 1999 The purchaser of all three properties is Pinellas Industrial Property Owner LLC a foreign limited liability company with offices in Boca Raton which registered with the State of Florida in May 2024 Real estate agents: Please forward all news for Places This Week to Amy Kagan at amy@stpetecatalyst.com. Thanks Long-awaited plans to breathe new life into Joe’s Creek and historically underserved areas surrounding the once prominent watershed Pinellas County officials comprising an evaluation committee selected Environmental Science Associates (ESA) July 2 to provide project engineering services employee-owned environmental consultancy firm’s proposal emerged from a competitive process that included Johnson “I was happy to see they have coastal experience as well as stream restoration,” said Emma Dontis “I think having those two skills for this sort of project is really quite important and it seems like they’ve been able to tackle both.” The 9,256-acre Joe’s Creek watershed also includes portions of Kenneth City While the urban waterway resembles a large local leaders have long planned to transform it into a public amenity The current project’s boundaries are Park Boulevard to the north 71st Street North to the east and Park Street to the west ESA will oversee nuisance vegetation removal and design stormwater controls – including green infrastructure that better absorbs harmful nutrients and other pollutants affecting water quality Contractors will plant native vegetation and trees restore a tidal salt marsh and dredge the channel to improve water flow Downstream waterbodies like Cross Bayou will also receive enhancements The engineering phase intertwines with additional Joe’s Creek initiatives elevated and permeable pavement multi-modal trail to foster community connectivity County documents call the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area “disadvantaged” due to the high percentage of low-income households with limited transportation access. Officials believe a reimagined Joe’s Creek will foster much-needed economic development The evaluation committee credited the ESA’s “vast” experience “They even have a drone pilot on their staff,” said Daniel Umberger the firm operates a Tampa office and has completed several local projects Company officials will dedicate 70 Florida employees In December 2023, ESA acquired St. Petersburg-based Janicki Environmental, Inc ESA’s leadership wrote that “Janicki’s expertise and specific county knowledge” will bolster “technical excellence and innovation” efforts “ESA has spoken with county staff about this important project many times over the past three years and we have a strong understanding of the project’s vision and scope of work,” states the proposal Thick nuisance vegetation currently surrounds areas of Joe’s Creek noted in an opening letter that maintaining water quality and natural habitats is challenging in the state’s most densely populated county They wrote that “significant tourism pressure and aging infrastructure” increases associated hurdles ESA welcomes the opportunity to work with the county to overcome those challenges and improve water quality and habitat for the county’s residents – both human and wild,” they continued “We look forward to continuing our strong and results-driven relationships with services provided by our local Tampa office and team of proven appreciated the firm’s detailed task outline “I think they have a really good idea of what we’re looking for and they understand how to get there,” he said thought ESA missed infrastructure improvement details he believes the company could still “deliver on the project pretty well.” County Commissioners must now approve a three-year contract with ESA The firm will complete invasive vegetation removal by mid-2026 The proposal states that stakeholders will collaboratively establish additional timelines including dates for several public outreach activities Maximizing habitat and water quality benefits “across the widest range possible” is a project priority Company officials pledged to integrate science engineering and innovation to achieve success “Projects will be identified that provide independent benefits and value instead of multiple dependent projects that must be implemented collectively to realize benefits and value,” states the proposal Hoping for beautiful,shady areas where we can find some respite from the busy,hot hustle and bustle we have around us many times Fourth of July Beach Fest: 11 days of live music, DJ dancing and beach vibes to honor our country. 21 and older only. No cover. 5-9 p.m. Thursday (June 27), 6-9 p.m. Friday (June 28), 1-9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (June 29-30). Postcard Inn, 6300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. 727-367-2711. Zephyrhills Summerfest: Fourth of July: Zephyrhills celebrates the Fourth of July early with a family festival including children’s activities, food and fireworks. Free. Noon-9 p.m. Saturday (June 29). Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills. Fourth of Ju-Luau: Wear luau-style clothing or beach attire to celebrate America, and get a jump on Canada Day, at this party with new beer releases, Hawaiian-themed food, a taco cart, prizes for best Hawaiian/beach attire and island music. No cover. Noon-11 p.m. Saturday (June 29). Dade City Brew House, 14323 Seventh St., Dade City. 352-218-3122. Fourth of July Hometown Extravaganza: The City of New Port Richey Centennial and Fourth of July Celebration with live music, food, bounce house and a fireworks display. Free. 4-9:30 p.m. Saturday (June 29). Sims Park, 5547 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-841-4560. Indie*Pendence III: Celebrate your independence at this barbecue with music by The Suns of Hispaniola and DJs Nostalgia and Swankadelic. No cover. 4-11:30 p.m. Saturday (June 29). Event Venue, 2599 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Fourth of July Mac and Cheese Cook-Off: A cheesy showdown of one of America’s most popular dishes. No cover. 5:30 p.m. Saturday (June 29). BRU Florida Growler Bar, 8729 Gunn Highway, Odessa. 813-926-8335. Rocco Imperatrice and his son Matteo, 7, wait for the Fourth of July fireworks at the St. Pete Pier on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in St. Petersburg. [ CHLOE TROFATTER | Times ]Happy Birthday America: Dance Party: Bring a dish to share and dress in red, white and blue for this potluck/dance party. $15. 7 p.m. Saturday (June 29). The Way 2 Dance Studio, 6520 U.S. 301, Riverview. 813-966-4788. Stars and Stripes Celebration: Start celebrating Independence Day early at this community barbecue with food, fixings, DJ dancing and a cash bar. Benefits the Gulfport Senior Center Building Fund. $25-$30. 5 p.m. July 1. Historic Gulfport Casino, 5500 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport. 727-893-1244. Fourth of July Beach Fest: 11 days of live music, DJ dancing and beach vibes to honor our country. 21 and older only. No cover. 5-9 p.m. July 1-2, 1-9 p.m. July 3-4, 6-9 p.m. July 5, 1-9 p.m. July 6-7. Postcard Inn, 6300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. 727-367-2711. Subscribe to our free Do & Dine newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. Fourth of July Concert: Celebrate America through patriotic music by the Florida Jazz Express big band Madeira Beach Independence Day Celebration: Enjoy live music by the Street Spirit Band at 7 p.m Hometown USA: This event kicks off with the Dunedin Goes Carting patriotic golf cart parade through downtown Dunedin to TD Ballpark The celebration continues at the ballpark with a live band The band will play in the third base concourse area Grandstand seating will be open to watch the movie and fireworks Clearwater Threshers: The Threshers come up against the Dunedin Blue Jays The team celebrates Independence Day Wednesday Fourth of July Swing: Swing Time presents a pre-Fourth of July swing dance with live music by Ace Jackson and the Jump Kings Independence Day Golf Cart Parade: Members of the Riviera Bay Civic Association deck out their golf carts in red white and blue for the fourth annual Light Up the Night golf cart parade July Fourth Circle of Heroes/Veterans Dive: Celebrate the Fourth of July with Narcosis Scuba Center and dive The Circle of Heroes and Veteran’s Reef Lutz Independence Day Run: A chip timed 5K and a 1-mile family fun run City of Gulfport Fourth of July Celebration: Gulfport starts celebrating with a kids fishing derby from 8-10:30 a.m White and Blue-themed family sand sculpting contest from 10 a.m.-noon on Gulfport Beach There’s also a parade on Beach Boulevard at 6 p.m Independence Day Golf Tournament: Tee off for freedom in this shotgun start four-person scramble with greens fees white and blue and dance for the freedom of our country Fourth of July Mingle: A mingles shuffleboard tournament with three 16-frame games Includes choice of burger or hot dog and chips Kenneth City Fourth of July: Join Kenneth City Mayor Megan Zemaitis for a parade starting at 66th Street and 46th Avenue N. through town to Ernst Park for a festival with food Pete Pier ahead of the Fourth of July fireworks on Tuesday [ CHLOE TROFATTER | Times ]Safety Harbor Fourth of July Parade: Wear red white and blue and join the American Legion Auxiliary for a parade down Main Street Stick around after the parade for a patriotic ceremony at the Gazebo at approximately 11:30 a.m Brandon Fourth of July Parade: The parade of marching units vehicles and floats starts at the corner of Lumsden Road and Parsons Avenue turns west and finishes at Buckingham Place Fourth of July Picnic in the Park: The 16th annual picnic with live music by Oysterbone (10-11:45 a.m drinks and a hot dog eating contest (16 and older only for eating contest) Independence Day Brunch: Take in a view of the beach as you indulge in a buffet featuring dishes including burgers Fourth of July Beach Party: Beachside cocktails DJ dancing and live music by The Difference (July 4) Crossfire Creek (July 6) and Chas Collins (July 7) White and Bluey: Celebrate the Fourth of July at this roller skating party with indoor safe fireworks games and meet-and-greets with Bluey the mascot white and blue skating with an all-you-can-eat hot dog-a-thon for the first hour Also taking place at Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs Catch the Spirit and Celebrate America: The family festival features food live entertainment and a patriotic drone show (9 p.m.) Fourth of July Celebration: A family-friendly alcohol-free festival with a scavenger hunt Family Fun: Fourth of July Celebration: Play family-friendly games while you listen to music by the Highway 41 Band Fourth of July: Bring blankets and lawn chairs to the second annual Independence Day celebration with music Hugh Gilbert Strickland American Legion Post 138 Fourth of July: A day filled with a farmers market (4-8 p.m.) family activities and a giant fireworks display Star Spangled Sparkman: Sparkman Wharf hosts the sixth annual event in collaboration with Tampa’s Boom by the Bay family-friendly event features live entertainment a water ski show and waterfront views of the Boom by the Bay fireworks display Petersburg’s official Fourth of July celebration at the Pier Lane Riverfront Park is Tampa’s Independence Day celebration Apple Pie Throwdown and a fireworks display DOWNTOWN TAMPA: Fireworks light up the sky as seen looking east from the bridge between Channelside and Harbour Island (2012) [ Times (2012) ]The Heights District Fourth of July Celebration: Festivities include a riverfront concert Friends of the Riverwalk Boat Parade viewing Independence Day Celebration: Bring the whole family out for an Independence Day celebration with live entertainment children’s activities and fireworks (9 p.m.) 4th of July Celebration: Bring the family for bounce houses community performances and fireworks (9 p.m.) Fourth of July Bash: Nine holes of golf followed by an optional buffet and fireworks Fourth of July Beach Party: Party in the sand as you listen to live music by Full Throttle Band starting at 5 p.m Fourth of July Celebration: A community-wide picnic featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw, a celebration service and fireworks. Registration required at revival.lpages.co/event. Free. 5-10 p.m. July 4. The River at Tampa Bay Church, 3738 River International Drive, Tampa. 813-971-9999. Burn and Boom Tampa Bay: Get patriotic with fireworks, DJ dancing, food, vendors, raffles and giveaways. No cover. 5-11 p.m. July 4. Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop, 4035 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa. 813-533-3798. Clearwater Celebrates America: Clearwater celebrates with local vendors, food trucks, family-friendly activities, live music, buskers throughout the park and fireworks over Clearwater Harbor (9:30 p.m.). Free. 5-11 p.m. July 4. Coachman Park, 301 Drew St., Clearwater. 727-562-4800. July Fourth Boat Parade on Craft: Celebrate the Fourth of July on the water with a memorable river dining experience aboard Craft. Craft will participate in the annual July 4 boat parade during this dinner journey. The two-hour cruise includes a three-course dinner, views of downtown Tampa’s waterways and craft cocktails available for purchase. $99.95. 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 4. Craft, 603 Channelside Drive, Tampa. 813-223-7999. July Fourth Independence Day Fireworks & VIP Celebration: Includes live music by Heart and Soul, two hours of open bar, a barbecue buffet and up-close seating for the Safety Harbor fireworks. $89. 5:30-10:30 p.m. July 4. Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, 105 N Bayshore Drive, Safety Harbor. 727-724-7706. Fireworks Cruise: Enjoy drinks, music and a great view of fireworks from the deck of the Pirate Ship Royal Conquest, Dolphin Quest or Shark Boat. Price varies by boat. 6 p.m. July 4. Sunshine Scenic Tours, 140 Boardwalk Place W., Madeira Beach. 727-423-7824. Fourth of July Bash: DJ Blink provides the music for karaoke with food, drinks, games and activities. No cover (RSVP required). 6 p.m. July 4. Whiskey on Park, 6501 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park. 727-273-1459. Glizzy Gobble Off: Fourth of July: A hot dog eating competition with cash prizes and free tea for winners. No cover. 6 p.m. July 4. Low Tide Kava Bar, 2902A Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport. 727-202-6824. Fireworks go off in the Vinoy Yacht Basin in St. Petersburg as part of the city’s celebration. [ Times (2021) ]Largo Fourth of July: Celebrate Independence Day with the city of Largo with live music from the 727s Band, food from local vendors and trucks, shopping from local vendors, activities and fireworks (shortly after 9 p.m.). Free. 6-9 p.m. July 4. Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive, Largo. 727-586-7415. Freedom Fest: Board the American Victory Ship for a night of refreshments, food trucks, a kid zone, All American photos, DJ dancing and great views of the boat parade and fireworks. $11-$16, 3 and younger free. 6-9:15 p.m. July 4. SS American Victory, 705 Channelside Drive, Tampa. 813-228-8766. St. Pete Beach Fourth of July: Nicknaming itself the Sunset Capital of Florida, St. Pete Beach celebrates with food, drinks, live ‘80s pop rock by Smokin Renegade (7-9 p.m.) and fireworks (9 p.m.). Free. 6-9:30 p.m. July 4. Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive, St. Pete Beach. 727-363-9245. July Fourth Boat Parade: Dress in red, white and blue and board the Pirate Water Taxi to take part in the Friends of the Riverwalk Boat Parade and Blessing of the Fleet. The 90-minute cruise includes prizes for best dressed and beer and wine available for purchase. Starting at $25. 6:15 p.m. July 4. Pirate Water Taxi, 333 S. Franklin St., Tampa. 813-390-3711. Fourth of July with the Blue Jays: Watch the Dunedin Blue Jays take on the Clearwater Threshers with a specialty jersey auction and post game fireworks to salute our country. $4. 6:30 p.m. July 4. TD Ballpark, 373 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-733-9302. Independence Day Party: Harry’s celebrates with $4 red, white and blue Jello shots, or two for $7. No cover. 7 p.m.-3 a.m. July 4-7. Hammered Harry’s, 6807 E. Adamo Drive, Tampa. 813-620-3866. Stars and Cars Fourth of July: Celebrate the Fourth of July at a smashing demolition derby with bounce houses, camel rides, paintball games, monster truck rides, live music, food trucks, karaoke, games and fireworks. $15-$20, $10-$12 ages 4-12, 3 and younger free (derby); Free (fireworks and activities); $10 parking. 7 p.m. July 4. Hernando County Fairgrounds, 6436 Broad St., Brooksville. 352-796-4552. Fourth of July Fireworks Cruise: Celebrate the stars and stripes on the water. This two-hour cruise includes an open bar, buffet dinner, DJ dancing and a spectacular view of the fireworks finale. Starting at $139.95, $99.95 ages 2-12. 7:30-10 p.m. July 4. Yacht Starship Sensation Dock, 25 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater. 813-223-7999. R&B on the Fourth of July: Women ages 25 and older and men ages 30 and older dress to impress for a nonsmoking night of R&B music. Free (registration on Eventbrite required before 11 p.m.). 10 p.m. July 4. Status Night Club, 4235 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa. 813-405-7436. After the Fourth Cleanup: Join Keep Pinellas Beautiful to clean up the park after the Fourth of July festivities. Free. 8 a.m. July 5. Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, 110 Veterans Memorial Lane, Safety Harbor. 727-533-0402. After the Fourth Cleanup: Join Keep Pinellas Beautiful and Treasure Island Adopt-a-Beach in cleaning up our coastline. Free. 8-10 a.m. July 5. Treasure Island Municipal Beach, 11260 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island. 727-360-3278. After the Fourth Cleanup: Join Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful to clean up the waterway. All supplies provided. Free. 8-11 a.m. July 5. Courtney Campbell Causeway Walking Trail, 8614 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa. 813-221-8733. Lealman Independence Day Celebration: A family-style celebration with free food by the Lealman Fire Department, drinks, music, bounce house, games and a water slide. No cover. 5-8 p.m. July 5. Lealman Park, 3875 54th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. People enjoy the festivities from Spa Beach at the St. Pete Pier during Fourth of July celebrations in St. Petersburg. (2021) [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ]After the Fourth Cleanup: Join Keep Pinellas Beautiful and the town of Indian Shores for a cleanup to ensure the community looks beautiful after the Fourth of July celebrations. Free. 8-11 a.m. July 5. Indian Shores Municipal Center, 19305 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores. 727-533-0402. Independence Day Pickleball: Dress in patriotic attire for a free, friendly pickleball match. All skill levels welcome. Free. 8-11 a.m. July 6. Southwest Recreation Complex, 13120 Vonn Road, Largo. 727-518-3125. Sixth of July Beach Party: Hennessey’s holds their Fourth of July party on the weekend after the holiday. Wear luau-themed attire to kick off summer with 32-ounce bucket cocktails, patio games, a cookout and a hot dog eating contest. No cover. Noon July 6. Hennessy’s Bar and Grill, 3980 Tampa Road, Oldsmar. 813-854-2255. Family Backyard Barbecue: A barbecue menu all day with a patriotic bike decorating contest, concert by School of Rock House Band, mini-golf, lawn games, ice cream and beer. $5 mini-golf, $1 ice cream, $5 contest entry. 4-8 p.m. July 6. Plantation Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-996-4653. Red, White and Sing Ya Heart Out: Get dressed up to party with music by Jazzy Jeff, Dreesey Baby and DJ MT. Free-$100. 5-9:30 p.m. July 6. 7th + Grove, 1930 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa. 813-649-8422. Postponed: Fourth of July Weekend Bash: Performers expected to appear include Gucci Mane, Rob 49, Yung Miami, Plies, Ball Greezy, Tom G, Manny G and Soulja K. Acts are subject to change. $75-$225. Rescheduled for 8 p.m. Sept. 20. Yuengling Center, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. 813-974-3111. Independence Island Party: Join Wandering Adventures Kayak Tours for a guided tour to Shell Key Island. $65. 8:45 a.m. July 7. Departure Point, 2828 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde. 850-252-2481. Red, White and Neon: Wear body paint and dance in black lights at this rave-style laser light show and dance party with CO2 blasts. Registration required on Eventbrite. Free. 5 p.m.-3 a.m. July 7. Hogg Daddy’s Beach Bar and Grill, 752 S. Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater. 727-877-3733. Kelly A. Stefani is an editorial assistant who writes about things to do. Reach her kstefani@tampabay.com. volunteers and sponsors gathered around a newly completed Lealman home to present the keys to its new owners the crowd stretched their arms to touch the freshly painted stucco and pray over the family’s future To many employees of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco counties this is the most special part of the process — when a house is completed and a client becomes a homeowner Jimenez bought his home through Habitat about a decade ago he is a senior field superintendent for the organization when a homeowner would come and I’d explain how it feels …” he said “It’s the best place I’ve ever been in my life.” At the local affiliate of the international nonprofit eligible applicants can purchase a home with a zero-interest loan they contribute hundreds of hours to the building “I wanted to be in the house pretty much every day,” said Jimenez who was quickly drawn into the technical world of construction About four years after moving into his home with his wife and children he returned to the organization as a volunteer Several Habitat employees said they were drawn by the hope and smiles they see working with clients fulfilling dreams of homeownership but its focus on helping families is rewarding Gonzãlez came to Habitat after volunteering at a build site in 2014 then participating in a Global Village trip where she spent a week working on homes in Malawi “Locally you can see (the impact); it’s more tangible it’s the impact you can sometimes be blind to.” Tampa Bay has struggled in recent years with mounting rent burden and home costs the local affiliate had to pivot in many ways — building townhomes in addition to single-family units putting properties into a county land trust to keep prices down increasing fundraising and partnering with municipalities with Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas & West Pasco Counties on the site of 12 new Habitat for Humanity homes at 4564 43rd St N Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas & West Pasco Counties is one of the places featured in Top Workplaces this year [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]“We have to find new and creative ways to make things work,” said Mike Sutton “We saw this massive increase in costs four years ago said the organization’s conversations on planning and sustainability have shifted mindful of a quickly changing economic landscape She said the challenges of working in a nonprofit dedicated to housing during an affordable housing crisis are made worth it by the organization’s cohesiveness and culture of support since 2018 has produced more homes each fiscal year than the previous year and has grown from 19 to more than 70 employees in the last 10 years “The growth is a direct correlation to the people we hire,” Sutton said “They have to buy into the mission of what we’re trying to do and never be satisfied with the fact that we need to find more ways to serve families in our community.” [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]About 10% of the employees are like Jimenez — homeowners who helped build their own houses then came back to the organization as volunteers or staff members Kevin Dorsey was an engineer three years ago when he was accepted into the program as a homeowner His enthusiasm caught the eye of program leaders and shortly after moving into his house he was offered a position as a program recruitment and engagement coordinator His job is to recruit potential applicants and encourage them throughout the process “It’s just awesome to see from the beginning and to see them get to the finish line,” Dorsey said Website: habitatpwp.org/ Employee comments: “I can make an impact on the community I live in.” “I know that I make a difference. I am surrounded by people who are all working towards the same goal and possess those work ethics needed to succeed and grow as an organization.” “Working together with a team to empower those that qaualify to purchase a home they otherwise would not be able to.” Teghan Simonton is a data reporter on the business and health team. Reach her at tsimonton@tampabay.com. — As families stack up mounds of memories on the curb commercial junk haulers tell the ABC Action News I-Team that the county is turning away storm debris at its main dump site there is one location for hauling companies to drop off what Helene destroyed Commercial haulers lined up at Angelo's Recycling in Largo on Tuesday after learning that they could no longer take storm debris to the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal in St a family business her parents started more than 20 years ago said they have never been as busy as they are now in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene “We just want to help the community get back to normal and help all of these families that lost everything." we came in Friday morning not realizing that we had 100+ online orders that were ordered throughout the night and we just were nonstop answering the phone not realizing the severity of how everything was Now Friday and Saturday and Monday we were able to dump at the county but I mean it’s just been more than we can handle," Mceleny told the I-Team “We’re not allowed to take any storm debris to Pinellas County They said if it looks like it’s from a flood they’re going to turn us away," Mceleny said The I-Team saw that happening outside of the county's solid waste complex with cars redirected to other sites and companies told they could only dump food But only if we have food trash," one commercial hauler said “That’s never happened before," Mceleny told the I-Team “I have never seen the county not allow us to go there; that’s our main source of dumping.” the I-Team found out there is now just one location for commercial haulers to bring storm debris within the county — Angelo's Recycling “I’ve had other haulers in the area that we have relationships with reach out to me wondering if we have any ideas trying to put our heads together to figure out what we’re going to do because if everyone is going to the one transfer station I mean that’s going to cause a backup there as well as the fact they don’t take a lot of household stuff," Mceleny said Done Rite had to bring some of the storm debris it collected back to its own lot “At some point we’re going to have a bunch of dumpsters that we’re not going to have anything to do with or we’re going to have a pile of debris in our yard that we’re dumping because we have nowhere else to put it right now," Mceleny said the information Pinellas County provided the I-Team shows that Pasco County has four locations for commercial haulers to dump storm debris and Hillsborough County has two sites I mean we’re trying to help the community get back in order and We’re just trying to help everyone get back situated so not being able to go there just really causes an issue even if we come with the homeowners information of where we brought it from you have to be a homeowner to bring it there so we’re kind of stuck right now," Mceleny said Pinellas County provided us with this information: "The Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex is not a designated storm debris site The volume of debris we received from this storm would overwhelm our site and interrupt regular waste processing Storm debris must also be documented before disposal for reimbursement by FEMA which would not be possible at Solid Waste we are implementing a zoned storm debris collection plan for the unincorporated County beginning today and we’re supporting our cities as they develop their own plans Our contractor will document and remove the debris." Additional information on debris collection in Pinellas County: If residents live in an unincorporated area and do not want to wait for the County’s storm debris collection they may take it to these two (possibly three soon) locations to confirm that they live in an unincorporated area 1: Southeast Corner of Eat Lake Road and Keystone Road (enter off Keystone Road) North is closed today due to adverse weather conditions More information to follow on when and what time it will open Commercial haulers may not use the above sites They may instead drop off debris at these approved locations: Residents who are disposing of household appliances such as washers and refrigerators may take them to these sites: Pinellas County plans to start a residential collection of Hurricane Helene debris in the unincorporated area of the county on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Debris collection will be implemented in zones starting at Crystal Beach, Ozona, West Palm Harbor, Unincorporated Seminole, and West Lealman.Residents can find more information on storm debris removal at this link If you have something you'd like the I-Team to investigate and I feel like that's part of where the system failed" Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark Latest Pinellas County News from ABC Action News Report a typo we incorrectly stated Lakeland's distance from Florida’s coast More than three million customers are without power after Hurricane Milton blew through Florida and caused widespread flooding along its west coast and inland The hurricane and its fierce winds cut a path of destruction across many cities and towns At least six people were killed but the very worst fears around storm surge were avoided Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy More than three million customers are without power tonight after Hurricane Milton blew through Florida causing widespread flooding along its West Coast and inland The hurricane and its fierce winds cut a path of destruction across Many cities and towns But the very worst fears around storm surge were avoided William Brangham begins our coverage with this report The massive hurricane tore across Florida overnight and today after making landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota county It came ashore as a Category 3 storm with 120 mile-an-hour winds First responders across the state worked overnight and throughout the day rescuing people stranded by floodwaters… … and from homes damaged by debris and fallen trees water rescue crews worked for hours saving hundreds of people who'd been trapped in an apartment complex inundated with floodwater Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the state had avoided some of the more catastrophic scenarios predicted but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario The storm did weaken before landfall and the storm surge as initially reported has not been as significant overall as what was observed for Hurricane Helene residents in this mobile home community were not told to evacuate And by the time they realized how bad the flooding was His girlfriend is still back in their home They were saying it was going to head more towards the Lake Wales area the hurricane just had another — had its own mind,came back to us every single time there was a powerful wind you could feel it in the mobile home just shaking whose mobile home was flooded with a foot of water So you left your big brother here all by himself we couldn't take him because we didn't have so much space in the car Milton's fierce winds set off at least 27 tornadoes destroying homes and killing several people in St Milton avoided a direct hit on the much larger city of Tampa deluged the region with more than a month's worth of rain The Hillsborough River swelled to four times its usual level Milton's high winds sent a construction crane crashing into a nearby building and shredded the roof of Tropicana Field baseball stadium it was used as a staging area for first responders President Biden pledged to help the state clean up and rebuild President of the United States: There's going to be a need for a significant amount of money I think Congress should move as rapidly as they can Milton downed power lines and transformers sparking fires and leaving more than three million Floridians in the dark The storm moved off Florida near Cape Canaveral as a Category 1 early this morning after pummeling communities on the eastern shoreline where the storm surge appeared to peak around eight to 10 feet and then all of a sudden this comes around So we're — we got our fingers crossed We're praying to the lord that he answered our prayers and is going to give us a break So there is clearly a sense of relief in certain spots here but there's a lot of work to be done to still understand just how severe the damage is across this state — Amna but in terms of physical damage and loss of life it doesn't seem to have been as bad as Many were anticipating so it didn't hit a major metropolitan area the surge that did come in wasn't as big as meteorologists had projected they were talking yesterday 12 to 15 feet potentially It ended up only being about three to five There's some complex meteorological reasons for that There was actually what's called a reverse surge that happened that pulled some of the water back from the shoreline at the moment of impact It's also true that it seems a lot of people here heard the warnings they heard the president of the United States saying we saw the airport was crowded with flights leaving Florida and the Orlando area was one of the largest evacuations that has happened in this state's history all contributed to the fact that it's very rare to be able to do for a major storm like this It's nice to be able to report some good news that this wasn't as bad as people had anticipated it would be there were so Many people in some of those low-lying mobile home communities where they did see quite a bit of flooding We visited several of those mobile home communities today but a lot of the major highways were flooded out and inaccessible to us and we saw several of those small communities And those are communities that traditionally public officials worry a great deal about The structures that are in those communities are not as robust from a construction standpoint They're not fixed to the ground like a traditional house is with its foundation And because they are often populated by people who don't have as much money and are somewhat at the fringe of our society they're placed in places that are just not as safe and they tend to flood more and they're often more polluted with the enormous amount of rain that fell on this state they got almost a month's worth of rain in just over a day or so here You put all of those factors together and these communities are the ones that flooded the most And we saw several examples of that right where we're standing here communities that didn't have the wind rip their roofs off which is traditionally what happens in storms like this but water that fell to the ground and flooded upwards and damaged their homes That's our William Brangham reporting tonight from Lakeland William Brangham is an award-winning correspondent and substitute anchor for the PBS News Hour Sam Weber has covered everything from living on minimum wage to consumer finance as a shooter/producer for PBS NewsHour Weekend he previously worked for Need to Know on PBS and in public radio He’s an avid cyclist and Chicago Bulls fan Maea Lenei Buhre is a general assignment producer for the PBS NewsHour Mike Fritz is the deputy senior producer for field segments at PBS NewsHour © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — The push of moisture came through Monday and now there is a front stalled just to our north Skies will be partly cloudy into early Tuesday morning so expect that more showers and storms will move through for Tuesday especially during the first half of the day That drier air is moving in from the north so there will be a range of rain chances from only 10 percent from Citrus County northward about 40 percent for Hernando and Pasco County but still at about 60 to 70 percent from the Bay southward Skies will go partly sunny in the afternoon with most of the showers and storms moving out Drier air will then move in Tuesday night into Wednesday Wednesday will be much drier with only a few isolated showers Otherwise it will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny with highs in the upper 80s Thursday and Friday will be dry with comfortable lows at night in the 60s to low 70s Highs during the day though will still make it to the upper 80s to low 90s as it will be mostly sunny both days — Flood advisory issued for central Pinellas County in West Central Flordia and central Hillsborough County in West Central Florida until 4 p.m..  Some locations to experience flooding:  — Klystron 9 is tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Temple Terrace to 15 miles west of Bay Pines to 50 miles west of Anna Maria Wind gusts in excess of 40 mph will be possible with these storms — Update at 2:07 pm Klystron 9 shows heavy thunderstorms in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties moving ENE — A flood advisory has been issued for Northwestern Pasco County and Southwestern Hernando County as storms move through the Bay Area.  The flood advisory is until 1:45 p.m Some locations that are expected to experience flooding include:  Show us what the weather looks like in your neighborhood Your photo could end up on Spectrum Bay News 9 county commissioners made a historic decision: They created the first community redevelopment area in unincorporated Pinellas County was unthinkable with Pinellas officials saying they would never sanction a CRA in unincorporated Pinellas That changed under a county administration and commission that’s become willing to try new things the new thing – a county CRA – is the most recent effort to solve longstanding problems of poverty and deprivation in the Lealman area It’s an area county officials have long struggled to help The Lealman CRA took another step forward Tuesday when commissioners passed a proposed plan to solve the region’s many problems to the Local Planning Agency for review If the LPA says the proposal conforms to county planning rules it will come back to commissioners for adoption “There’s nothing but excitement for the potential” of the CRA for Lealman Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice said who serves as the head of the neighborhood CRA board said residents are excited that real progress appears to be on the horizon that the plan has to go through so many hands before the real work can begin and we’ve lived with it a long time,” Neri said The unincorporated Lealman area spans a portion of south Pinellas County that’s located generally between Pinellas Park and St Kenneth City divides the area into two segments Pinellas County has been working to revitalize the Lealman community since at least the late 1990s Most of the efforts have focused on east Lealman the portion on the eastern side of Kenneth City that’s generally west of I-275 It’s an area of high poverty – one of the poorest in the county – that lacks infrastructure sidewalks and narrow streets flanked by steep ditches Absentee landlords are in part responsible for the poor condition of some of the housing stock The amount of green space has been increased with the cleanup of Lealman Park on 54th Avenue N and the addition of Joe’s Creek Greenway Park A street light district provides nighttime lighting in part of the area Lealman boasts the unincorporated area’s first unified garbage service Some new fire hydrants have been installed newly constructed apartments were opened for veterans depressed and was classified as a slum and blight area as part of the process for creating the CRA A CRA uses money generated in the area exclusively for improvements in the area The immediate oversight is provided by a citizens’ board but the County Commission serves as the ultimate authority The first duty has been to come up with a plan it will be the framework used for future development and improvements in Lealman The 44-page plan proposed for Lealman notes that the ultimate goal is making Lealman economically and socially self-sustaining It identifies eight areas of concentration: economic development and innovation Among the possible strategies for getting to those goals: creating a Lealman logo to use on marketing and other materials façade grants to encourage housing and business improvements This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL © Copyright by Extensive-Enterprises 2025. All rights reserved. STAFF LOGIN Major Hurricanes Helene and Milton Hurricanes Helene and Milton were two of the most impactful storms for the West Coast of Florida in the last one hundred years rivaled only by storms as infamous as Hurricane Charley (2004) From historic storm surge that impacted the entire West Coast to flooding rainfall that caused new record water levels on area rivers some of the highest wind speeds recorded in the Tampa Bay Area and a prolific tornado outbreak across Central and South Florida these two storms touched everyone's lives in some way across the region Given that these powerful hurricanes made landfall just two weeks apart and their interconnected impacts on communities across West Central and Southwest Florida Hurricane Debby Hurricane Debby developed from Tropical Depression Four that formed along the southern coast of Cuba around 11 PM EDT on August 2 The depression moved into the southeast Gulf of America and strengthened into Tropical Storm Debby at 5 PM EDT on August 3 Debby continued organizing while turning northwest then north on August 4 strengthening to a hurricane at 11 PM EDT while centered about 100 miles west-northwest of Tampa The hurricane gradually turned north-northeast while continuing to strengthen and made landfall near Steinhatchee Debby produced storm surge and wind damage across west central and southwest Florida as it passed by the area to the west However its most significant impact was river and flash flooding caused by torrential rainfall which in parts of Manatee and Sarasota counties totaled between 15 and 20 inches prompting the closure of numerous roadways and requiring water rescues from stranded vehicles to homes and apartments in area neighborhoods West Central and Southwest Florida Heavy Rainfall Event: June 10-13, 2024 As a tropical disturbance and surge of moisture lifted northward over portions of the Florida peninsula during the week of June 10th several rounds of heavy rainfall occurred across West Central and Southwest Florida many locations experienced significant heavy rainfall Several daily (and even hourly) records were broken during the week much of this rainfall fell during a very short duration January 9, 2024 Severe Weather Event 2024 a potent storm system moved across the Florida peninsula a warm and humid air mass lifting northward over the state produced strong winds not associated with any storms a squall line pushed through the region producing an EF-1 tornado in Northern Hillsborough County and damaging straight-line winds in Sarasota County Gulf Low and Coastal Flooding Event on December 17, 2023 A wave of low pressure formed in the central Gulf of America along the remnant stationary frontal boundary on Saturday and moved northeast over the Florida peninsula on Sunday Tornado Outbreak on October 11-12, 2023 Western Florida experienced one of its more significant tornado events during the evening of October 11th through the morning of October 12th with 2 of them being significant (rated EF-2 or stronger) with maximum estimated winds of 115 and 125 mph The first of the significant tornadoes moved across Pinellas County near Clearwater Beach and Dunedin and the other near Crystal River in Citrus County EF-0 tornadoes affected Sarasota and Pasco counties and another 2 hit parts of Pinellas County separate from the EF-2 The 6 total confirmed tornadoes represents the 8th most tornadoes in any single event for the area and the event is tied for 15th when ranking events by total number of tornadoes no fatalities or significant injuries were reported which is especially remarkable given the strength of the tornadoes and the fact that most of them occurred during the overnight hours Major Hurricane Idalia Hurricane Idalia began as a disorganized cluster of thunderstorms that moved across Central America from the Pacific Ocean and into the southern Caribbean Sea the system became Tropical Depression Ten and slowly continued to organize over the next few days while remaining almost stationary in the northwest Caribbean Sea Tropical Depression Ten became Tropical Storm Idalia Idalia had become a hurricane and began to move towards the north eventually reaching category three strength as it made its final approach to the Florida peninsula on the morning of August 30 Tornadoes in Pasco→Hernando, Pinellas, and Sarasota Counties a powerful winter storm system moved eastward across the United States Blizzard conditions developed in the Northern Plains and a severe weather outbreak occurred across Texas this storm system arrived in the vicinity of the Florida peninsula Ushered along by the sharp change in temperature a line of storms developed over the Gulf - bringing with it two EF1 tornadoes Hurricane Nicole Hurricane Nicole first formed on November 7th as a sprawling low pressure system began to take on subtropical characteristics As the system began to organize and the wind field contracted Nicole continued to intensify to a Category 1 Hurricane on November 9th after making landfall in the northern Bahamas The storm would go on to make landfall along the Florida east coast near Vero Beach during the early morning hours of November 10th Substantial impacts were felt along the east coast of the state as hurricane-force winds and high surf battered the region of the coastline still reeling from Hurricane Ian Some of this heavy rainfall and stronger wind also impacted West Central and Southwest Florida Major Hurricane Ian Hurricane Ian started out as a tropical wave off the coast of Africa in mid-September this disorganized wave would move westward south of the the islands of Puerto Rico and Hispañola the storm made a northward turn and made landfall in western Cuba After emerging off the northwest Cuban coast Ian underwent a period of rapid intensification as it moved north and then northeast towards Florida intensify into a Catgory 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph Ian made landfall at 305 PM on September 28 as a Category 4 Major Hurricane near Cayo Costa in Southwest Florida Storm surge of 10 to 15 feet battered the barrier islands south of the landfall with historic rainfall amounts up to nearly 27 inches causing major flooding over inland areas Damaging Hail on April 4, 2022 a significant hail event occurred in Highlands County Florida in association with afternoon thunderstorms that developed across the Florida peninsula and what caused the occurrence of such a storm Damaging Winds, Hail, and Tornadoes on March 12 and 16, 2022 March 2022 was an active month with multiple tornadoes Explore the events and the science behind why they did - and didn't - unfold The Severe Weather Outbreak of January 16, 2022 Tornado in Fort Myers and Strong Damaging Winds in other parts of Southwest Florida Hurricane Elsa The 2021 Hurricane Season quickly jumped into high gear Elsa was the earliest 5th named storm on record Areas along the west coast of Florida experienced as much as 2 to 3 feet of storm surge and 6-10 inches of rain fell across portions of southwest Florida In southern Sarasota and Charlotte Counties neighborhoods flooded after weeks of heavy rain was compounded by the additional rainfall associated with Elsa the storm made landfall north of Steinhatchee Tornadoes in Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Polk Counties In the days leading up to Wednesday December 16th OK along with the Tampa Bay Area National Weather Service office began highlighting the risk of severe weather during the middle of the week Ahead of a cold front and south of the warm front West Central and Southwest Florida were located in the warm/moist sector of a closed surface low Conditions were only marginally conducive for severe weather as cold shelf waters off the coast of Florida would likely limit instability enough of the ingredients including bulk shear of 40-50 knots and 0-3 km Storm Relative Helicity in excess of 200 m^2/S^2 were in place to warrant the introduction of a Marginal Risk of tornadoes and damaging wind.  Daytime surface heating was just enough to sustain convective updrafts if they happened to make it on land Firing up over the warm and unstable waters near the Gulf Loop Current this particular cell had a long history of doppler indicated waterspouts before weakening over the cooler Gulf waters near Pinellas county the cell tapped into the southern end of more favorable environmental conditions spawning a series of tornadoes that damaged homes and businesses across three Central Florida counties there were no reported injuries or fatalities with either of these tornadoes Hurricane Eta Tornado in Pinellas County an upper-level low began to take shape over Alaska the system would intensify and traverse thousands of miles to arrive on the doorstep of the Florida peninsula with a strong cold front extending into the Gulf of America it was warm and humid as breezy southerly flow transported large amounts of moist allowing temperatures to climb into the mid-80s conditions were cold and dry as arctic air funneled south had an extra boost as the jet stream dipped farther to the south What was already a favorable environment for storms had become even better many would report strong winds and minor damage what is most likely to be the most memorable element of the event was the EF-0 tornado that impacted parts of Pinellas County; uprooting trees Tropical Storm Nestor Hurricane Irma The NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Irma can be found here Tornadoes Tornado in Southern Sarasota County A line of thunderstorms moved through the Florida peninsula ahead of a cold front early on the morning of the 24th. One of these storms caused a short lived tornado in southern Sarasota County. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Flooding in Hillsborough County A nearly stationary cold front helped generate a squall line that dumped heavy rain over much of West Central Florida. In part of Hillsborough county, training storms produced 6-10 inches of rain, leading to flash flooding. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Tropical Storm Andrea Tornadoes Tropical Storm Debby Wind Damage in eastern Charlotte County Southeasterly flow setup a deep layer of moisture over the Florida peninsula that led to thunderstorms developing on sea breeze boundaries in the afternoon producing gusty winds and hail. One of these storms developed microburst winds. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Tornado in Port Charlotte A cold front moved southeast across central Florida overnight, creating scattered storms. One storm produced a brief EF-1 tornado that caused significant roof damage to two buildings. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Nature Coast/Tampa Bay Region Severe Weather and Tornadoes Wind Damage and Tornadoes A low pressure system over the northeast Gulf of America moved northeast across northern Florida and sent a squall line through the area. The thunderstorms brought damaging winds, large hail, minor flooding and a few weak tornadoes. More details about this event can be found in the Storm Events Database located here Grenelefe Tornado Cold Spell Cape Coral Tornado A developing area of low pressure was in place over the eastern Gulf of America, sending bands of showers and thunderstorms over the region and increasing winds across the area. With the storms, an isolated tornado briefly touched down in Cape Coral. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Carrollwood Village Tornado A trough of low pressure was in place across the area and high pressure was ridging across south Florida with an upper level disturbance moving into the area from the north. Numerous thunderstorms developed in this moist and unstable environment producing a tornado. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Tampa Tornado A remnant frontal boundary in place across north-central Florida combined with a warm, moist, unstable airmass and the east and west coast sea breeze boundaries to develop numerous thunderstorms across the area, one of which produced a tornado in the Harney area of Tampa near Tampa Executive Airport. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Lakeland Tornado A remnant frontal boundary in place across north-central Florida combined with a warm, moist, unstable airmass and the east and west coast sea breeze boundaries to develop numerous thunderstorms across the area, one of which produced a tornado in the Lake Parker area of Lakeland. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Tropical Storm Fay Cape Coral Tornado A storm moving along the sea breeze boundary interacted with the predominant easterly flow in place to produce a brief EF0 tornado in Cape Coral. The link to the Storm Events Database for this event can be found here Fort Myers Tornado Central Florida Super Fog Land O' Lakes Tornado A strong cold front combined with the remnants of Tropical Depression Olga to produce hazardous weather in west central Florida. A EF1 tornado formed from a long-lived supercell thunderstorm that moved onshore from the Gulf of America. The link to the Storm Events Database for this tornado can be found here Tornadoes Strike Cape Coral and Fort Myers Beach Sumter County Tornado Tornado Hits Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club Tornadoes Hit Port Charlotte Area Flash Flooding Drenches Tampa Bay Area Hurricane Wilma Punta Gorda Waterspout/Tornado A waterspout developed just north of Punta Gorda during the evening of July 15th over Charlotte Harbor. The spout fortunately remained near or over water for most of its life, but for the short period on land as an F0 tornado. Only minor damage was reported, mostly to trees with one residence sustaining minor damage. The link to the Storm Events Database for this waterspout/tornado can be found here Numerous Hail Storms with some Wind Damage Seminole Heights Microburst Wind Damage and Storm Tides 20 Year Anniversary of 2004 Hurricane Season Hurricane Jeanne Hurricane Frances Hurricane Charley Tropical Storm Henri Short-lived Tropical Storm Henri lurked about 100 miles west of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area between 5 AM September 5th and 5 AM September 6th, then weakened before accelerating across central Florida during the late morning on the 6th. Henri produced generally minor freshwater flooding and some breezy conditions near the coast. The NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Henri can be found here Heavy Rain / Flooding Deep southwest flow setup during early August reaching it's peak between the 7th and 11th as a series of upper level disturbances moved through an upper level trough across the southeast United States Repeating thunderstorms dumped torrential rains along much of the immediate coast with significantly lower totals over interior west central Florida Tornadoes Tropical Storm Gabrielle 2020Republican challenger Linda Chaney appeared poised for an upset over Democratic incumbent Jennifer Webb in the race for House District 69 representing communities largely along the southern Pinellas County coast Some absentee ballots remain to be counted “I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to represent the community of District 69,” Chaney said in a statement “This journey has introduced me to many kinds of people whom i am happy to serve I am beyond thrilled and I am ready to get to work in Tallahassee!” Chaney co-founded Tampa Bay Mobile Mammography and ran it until Dec In addition to her role as a state representative Webb is a founder and partner at OmniPublic a business development and public affairs consulting firm Chaney’s campaign focused on the environment vocational training and removal of regulations and also focused on issues of federal relief funding She highlighted her co-sponsorship of a Red Tide mitigation bill a climate research bill and an anti-fracking bill She also pledged to push for a bill that would incentivize schools to use solar power Webb raised $327,818.74 in monetary donations and $33,405.94 in in-kind contributions while Chaney raised $66,665.80 in monetary donations and $62,133.96 in in-kind contributions District 69 stretches from Redington Shores to St Florida state House representatives serve two-year terms and earn a salary of $29,697 per year FLORIDA’S ELECTION NIGHT — AND BEYOND: Here’s what you need to know. DECLARING WINNERS: How the Associated Press makes election calls, a Q&A WHAT TO WATCH: What’s on TV for election night, from news to comedian commentators Natalie WeberPinellas Criminal Justice Reporter Tampa Bay and Sarasota are assessing the damage from Hurricane Milton which made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County as a Category 3 Wednesday night Though record storm surge of up to 15 feet was predicted in some parts of the region Tampa Bay was mostly spared from that worst-case scenario around 17 inches of rain fell in parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties in just six hours leading the National Weather Service to declare a rare flash flood emergency Even neighborhoods outside of flood zones saw roads turned into rivers and cars fully submerged At least 16 people in Florida died from the storm Though all major bridges in the region have reopened persistent gas shortages and obstructed roads have made travel a challenge David Fletcher thought he’d be safe at The Standard at 2690 Apartments in Clearwater The 16-acre complex of squat two-story walk-ups which lie just northwest of the Bayside Bridge was outside Pinellas County’s mandatory evacuation zone Then the complex was flooded with neck-high water in some places, leading to what Sheriff Bob Gualtieri called “the most significant water rescue” in the county’s history. Read the rest of the story here was inundated by more than six feet of flooding early Thursday morning as rainfall from Hurricane Milton overwhelmed a nearby drainage system Hundreds of residents had to be rescued from this neighborhood as floodwaters nearly reached the second floor at least four feet of water remained inundating homes by afternoon [ MAX CHESNES | Times ]8:26 p.m the effects of widespread power outages came into sharp view Huge swaths of the city — from Westshore to Ybor City along Florida and Nebraska avenues — were pitch black Cars trailed far down Kennedy Boulevard in a drive-thru line for McDonald’s forcing waiting cars to slam on their brakes Others heeded the rules requiring a four-way stop pedestrians and bicyclists blended in with mounds of debris as they navigated perilous streets without sidewalks 529,000 Tampa Electric customers remain without power The USF football team already has moved its game versus Memphis once With Tampa Bay bracing for Hurricane Milton earlier in the week, the Bulls — originally slated to play Friday night at Raymond James Stadium — shifted their conference matchup with the Tigers to Saturday afternoon. The game remains on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+), but instead will be played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando the school said the decision was made in “consultation with local law enforcement in the interest of public safety and with respect for the response and recovery efforts under way in the Tampa Bay area following Hurricane Milton in addition to various logistical challenges related to the storm that affected both schools.” Times photographer Dirk Shadd captured a ravaged Tropicana Field at sunset on his drone An aerial drone view of Tropicana Field with the roof shredded after Hurricane Milton in downtown St [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]An aerial drone view of Tropicana Field with the roof shredded after Hurricane Milton in downtown St [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]— Kirby Wilson Hillsborough County officials issued a precautionary notice Thursday for residents to boil water in portions of Seffner and north Brandon The county’s Water Resources department issued the notice after Hurricane Milton caused a water main break in the area The break caused pressure to drop below regulatory levels The notice affects about 4,000 water connections in the area south of Interstate 4 and north of Windhorst Road and east of Parsons Avenue and west of Valrico Road The county advised residents in that area to boil all tap water used for cooking The notice will be rescinded once tests confirm the water meets quality standards a process that generally takes about 48 hours citywide debris pickup will resume once streets are cleared and safe according to the city’s community enrichment administrator who oversees parks and recreation as well as storm and debris pickup Jefferis said all main streets have been cleared of any trees that are not entangled with power lines. Beginning Friday, Jefferis said, the city will focus on clearing secondary streets. He urged residents to report fallen trees on the city’s SeeClickFix website as the city is doing multiple sweeps of each neighborhood Jefferis said 10,000 homes citywide were flooded from Helene and and the city has support form the national guard and from the county state and federal governments ”It will take us a significant amount of time to clear the debris from our city,” he said Read more here At least 16 people have died in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement including two in Pinellas and one in Hillsborough Local agencies determine whether a death is storm-related There may be discrepancies across counties The law enforcement or medical examiner agencies in following counties have reported Milton-related fatalities: Read more here. The Coast Guard on Thursday rescued a fishing boat captain who found himself stranded in the Gulf of Mexico as Hurricane Milton rifled toward Florida The man was clinging to a cooler and wearing a life jacket when he was saved at about 1:30 p.m The Coast Guard did not publicly identify him by name but said he was taken to Tampa General Hospital ”This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner,” said Lt “We estimate he experienced approximately 75-90 mph winds for an extended period of time to include overnight his emergency position indicating locator beacon and a cooler.” Dave had broken down about 20 miles west of John’s Pass the captain got stuck with a rudder problem Officials initially communicated with him as the storm approached Wednesday via radio But they said they lost contact at about 6:45 p.m The two main power companies in the Tampa Bay region were still reporting hundreds of thousands of outages nearly 24 hours after Milton made landfall TECO reported about 583,000 outages statewide and Duke Energy said another 926,000 were without power Pete Beach could be forced to limit their water usage for more than a week while the city gets the sewage system back up and running after Hurricane Milton ”We have absolutely catastrophic failures with our main pump station and several lift stations,” Mayor Adrian Petrila said in a video message posted to Facebook. Read more here Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Milton for Craig Fugate who served as the top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Barack Obama Hurricanes often throw off dangerous weather cells, but the tornadoes unleashed by Milton appear to be more powerful than those brought about by the average hurricane. So far, five tornado related deaths have been reported, but that number could climb “I wouldn’t be surprised if our greatest loss of life was from tornadoes,” Fugate said in an interview Tropicana Field wasn’t the only Tampa Bay landmark that lost its giant fabric roof due to Hurricane Milton.Tampa’s 20,000-capacity MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre saw a large chunk of its roof ripped to shreds Wednesday night into Thursday which according to its maker is constructed from an architectural fabric called PVC tensile membrane was in tatters and falling onto the seats below Read more here Portions of the roof of the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa were torn down by Hurricane Milton Portions of the roof fell onto the seats below on Oct [ DIVYA KUMAR | Times ]5:16 p.m Tampa homeless man survived the night in an abandoned homeCarlos Vasquez stayed in an abandoned house in Palmetto Beach south of Ybor City as Hurricane Milton passed through doesn’t like shelters because he distrusts authority he watched water from McKay Bay rise until it started getting close to the front porch he sat in a ball and put his arms around his body and was blessed that the water didn’t go past the porch of the elevated house he was going through his things and was “just very thankful.” A few blocks from where Vasquez stayed the high winds from Milton had ripped Pilgrim Permocoat’s three-story business to shreds and the entire front of the building laid on the ground Just a little over a mile away on Ybor’s Seventh Avenue Carlos Vasquez watched the water rise almost to the porch of the abandoned home where he chose to take shelter during Hurricane Milton Progress Village swamped by rainfallThe water from Milton’s staggering rainfall had nowhere to go — so it climbed higher and higher until it overtopped mailboxes in some streets Those who couldn’t swim out were trapped in their homes that’s where those residents stayed until boats rescued them Thursday afternoon Read more here Neighborhoods north of Tampa that rarely see flooding saw water encroach on their homes on Thursday It generally doesn’t flood on Linda Vista Road in Lutz an area whose lakes have long attracted residents some streets near Lake Park looked like a marsh Floodwaters and downed trees surround homes on Linda Vista Road in Lutz in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on Oct Tampa Bay mostly spared from damage by flying debrisIt was one of many fears that gripped public officials and local residents ahead of Hurricane Milton: slabs of wood and drywall piled high at curbsides after Hurricane Helene The debris left over from this season’s last major storm which slapped Tampa Bay a mere two weeks ago was thought to be a potential danger as Milton bore down on the state Yet as crews began damage assessments at sunrise Thursday it became apparent that Milton hardly touched much of what Helene left behind Items that high winds could have turned into dangerous projectiles mostly still sat at street sides we don’t have extensive damage in our community,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said Thursday morning after surveying the city by helicopter “Even the debris that we weren’t able to pick up you can tell that that’s been moved around in a few yards Read more here. Debris leftover from Hurricane Helene is pictured on the side of a road near Bahia Beach [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]4:11 p.m How to help after the stormLocal and national organizations are raising money for food housing and supplies needed to restore lives after Hurricane Milton Here’s a roundup of ways to help. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday took a swipe at theories that the government is controlling the weather — and likened it to theories that global warming can increase the intensity of hurricanes “You kind of have some people think government can do this and others think it’s all because of fossil fuels Though scientists push back on the idea that climate change causes hurricanes they largely agree that a warming climate could lead to stronger hurricane effects more extreme rainfall and more rapid intensification Read more here The 36-year-old had ridden out Hurricane Milton at a downtown St he was anxious to see what was left of where he has lived for the past three years.The problem Petersburg’s Lake Maggiore had burst its banks and flooded Martin Luther King Street south of 26th Avenue and many surrounding neighborhoods and roads Read more here Jerry Gilchrist walks through the flooding at Lake Shore Park a mobile home property near Lake Maggiore in southern St [ GRAHAM BRINK | Times ]3:54 p.m DeSantis said mobile homes fared better than expectedGov Ron DeSantis toured Siesta Key and Sarasota and came away impressed with how mobile homes and homes built to the post-Hurricane Andrew building codes fared during the storm He said he expected more mobile home roofs to be damaged near where the storm made landfall they’ve done a lot better in Florida over the years,” he said “Our buildings that were built in the last 20 - 30 The state continues to do damage assessments and search and rescue operations At least 340 people and 49 pets have been rescued as of Thursday afternoon About 4 million customers lost power during the storm Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell visited Siesta Key and other impacted areas on Thursday afternoon to see what people may need most help with after the storm “One of those big concerns that I heard continues to be the debris removal,” Criswell said at a news conference in Milton Criswell said the federal government will continue to work with Gov Ron DeSantis and Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to ensure the federal aid available “We are integrated really well with the state partners and we will continue to provide the governor any resources that he needs,” she said HCA Florida Healthcare, which operates hospitals along the path of Hurricane Milton, said more than a dozen hospitals around Tampa Bay and beyond are still shuttered. Click here for the full list of closed medical centers After Hurricane Milton unleashed widespread damage across Tampa Bay many bars and restaurants are still without power a select few spots announced they were ready to welcome back guests and Tampa’s 7th + Grove are handing out free meals Here’s where else to eat. The predictions were that Hurricane Milton would crush Florida’s fragile homeowners insurance market But state officials say that won’t be the case And state-run Citizens Property Insurance won’t have to levy assessments on Floridians who open their NHL season on the road at Carolina on Friday night will wait a little longer to play at Amalie Arena The team announced that Saturday’s home game is being postponed while the Tampa Bay region deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton Hurricane Helene had damaged players’ homes just a few weeks prior to Milton’s landfall The University of South Florida announced it would keep all campuses in Tampa Petersburg and Sarasota closed until at least Saturday due to initial assessments of impacts from the storm All in-person and online courses have been canceled for Friday and Saturday The university said a decision about resuming normal schedules on Monday will be made after the university can further assess each campus Tampa International Airport will reopen at 8 a.m Roadways and parking lots are in good shape after the airport escaped the worst flooding projections Six jet bridges that help passengers board planes were damaged by the wind The airport’s fuel depot is running on a backup generator after losing power Much of Fowler Avenue in Tampa was underwater Thursday afternoon The Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office has performed several water rescues from the area including removing 135 people from the Great American Assisted Living Facility on N 17th Avenue A sheriff’s office spokesperson said when law enforcement arrived hoped to return to his restaurant to be able to help distribute food to people who may have been impacted by the hurricane he distributed 100 free packages of food to anyone in the area in preparation of the storm and posted a message on social media telling everyone to stay safe and that he planned to reopen by Thursday he said he had to walk close to a mile to reach near business and doesn’t think he’ll be able to enter for days because of the water “It looks like complete loss right now,” he said “Maybe the entire restaurant is washed out.” Cars sit half-submerged on a section of flooded Fowler Avenue between 15th and 22nd streets in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on Oct [ DIVYA KUMAR | Times ]1:44 p.m Ruskin mobile home residents lose everythingAbel Bautista lost the mobile home he had been renting for two years in Ruskin “You work hard all day to have your things “That’s something that has never happened in my entire life,” he said Bautista and his cousin decided to leave yesterday morning (Wed) before the hurricane and went to a shelter in Lakeland our families in Mexico would be mourning us now,” said Bautista They also lost $500 they had saved and left in a ‘secure box’ inside the mobile home before it was destroyed Abel Bautista and his cousin search for anything they can recover among the devastation of their mobile home in Ruskin in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton [ JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times ]1:09 p.m Gas shortages persist in Tampa BayGas station outages have risen in Tampa Bay since Tuesday when hundreds of thousands sucked their tanks dry while trying to evacuate 63% of gas stations were sold out in the region nearly a quarter of stations were out of gas Fort Myers and Gainesville had no gas at more than a third of stations An expert advised consumers to check large travel centers like Wawa and Pilot Flying J first Recovery of fuel in Florida hinges on Port Tampa Bay which is currently being assessed for damages The port is working with fuel terminal operators to see when they can begin operations again The port prioritizes de-boarding cruise ship passengers fuel and perishable goods like fruit when relaunching its operations There are now at least five reported fatalities in St Lucie County from tornadoes associated with Hurricane Milton said he thought the state would soon be able to release a lot of the search and rescue assets they had called into the state DeSantis said he thinks there was less demand for rescues with Hurricane Milton than there was with Hurricane Helene the state’s director of the Division of Emergency Management are working with FEMA to try and change the structure of debris collection payments as a way to incentivize private haulers to collect more in Florida the county didn’t want to do debris pick up as fast because they “weren’t sure about the paperwork” and about FEMA reimbursing some of the contractors working on debris left for North Carolina instead because “they could make more money there.” Now that cleanup has begun and people are returning to their homes from Hurricane Milton businesses are working quickly to get their stores attractions and performing arts centers back online Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando will reopen tomorrow Both theme parks closed Wednesday in preparation for Milton Busch Gardens Tampa Bay hasn’t announced a reopening date yet Read more here about reopening plans for Publix performing arts halls and more in the Tampa Bay area Despite a night spent sleeping on the floor with strangers at this Pinellas County hurricane shelter, the mood was jovial as people stepped outside Rachel and Norman Deprey live in a nearby mobile home community they were hopeful their home sustained no damage “Everything is cool.” — Michaela Mulligan and Lauren Peace Law enforcement crews in boats and high-water vehicles rescued some 430 people from an apartment complex in Clearwater on Thursday morning Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in what he described as “the most significant water rescue that I’ve seen here in Pinellas county ever.” where Gualtieri said floodwaters from Hurricane Milton reached second-floor balconies in some places and about 90% of them were home during the storm As water covered cars and creeped toward the second floor many first-floor residents were taken in by their upstairs neighbors He believes the complex is now uninhabitable that we were going to see some casualties out of that,” he said Gualtieri said there were several other calls for water rescues in the middle of the night Crews have since responded to those calls and accounted for everyone involved Some North Kenwood residents have questions for the City of St They want to know why their retention pond wasn’t lowered They want to know why the drains backed up — why the water wasn’t pumped elsewhere They want to know why they experienced flooding residents of 40-plus years have never seen before Read more The Courtney Campbell Causeway reopened around noon today after crews cleared debris from the roadway Lenny Lopez has lived on boats for 46 years His current home of 26 years is a 42-foot sailboat named Velella Both Velella and Lopez have survived several big-name storms including Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago But he said Milton turned out to be one of the worst storms he has ever endured Read this dispatch about his experience Lenny Lopez stands next to his sailboat at the marina while describing the experience of riding out Hurricane Milton in his boat on Thursday [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]12:18 p.m Child saved from flood waters in TampaA 14-year-old boy was pulled out of flood waters by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies near University Mall The boy was found floating on a piece of fence before deputies pulled him up onto their powerboat 14 year-old boy found floating on a piece of fence and rescued by teamHCSO. pic.twitter.com/m0FalN5DjZ Punishing wind and rain from Hurricane Milton jostled the southern part of the city overnight tearing the roofs off manufactured homes and flooding a swath of Allen Road to depths that surprised even longtime residents “The trees behind our house were just whipping.” surveyed the damage across several manufactured home communities along Chancey Road on Thursday morning They saw deep floodwater stretching from Allen Road up to the doors of nearby businesses An abandoned car with water up to the license plate sat as an unfortunate measuring stick “This is the worst I’ve seen it,” Severance said Lifted pickup trucks powered through the water but other drivers opted to turn around before getting stuck worked Thursday to anchor a carport that almost blew away during Milton — threatening to take their home’s whole roof with it The Bolanders had let some of their neighbors stay in the place during the storm while they huddled in another house they own nearby Jeff Bolander said he had to hurry over and patch the hole with wood He couldn’t stop some water from creeping inside The damage was nowhere near as bad other residents like the woman they know whose roof had “peeled off like a sardine can,” Sherri Bolander said A driver negotiates a flooded street near a strip mall along Allen Road Thursday Precipitation associated with Hurricane Milton dropped several inches of rain in the area late Wednesday night flooding streets and knocking out power [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]12:02 p.m Video of damage to Tropicana Field{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Hurricane Milton destroys roof of Tropicana Field","description":"Tampa Bay and Sarasota awoke Thursday to assess damage from Hurricane Milton leaving millions of Floridians without power.\n\nThe storm pounded the state on three fronts overnight into Thursday.\n\nThe north side of Milton dumped incredible amounts of fresh water — around 17 inches in parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties in just six hours This led the National Weather Service to declare a rare flash flood emergency Traffic light down in RiverviewA traffic light was knocked down at the intersection of Highway 301 and Balm Drive in Riverview Damage was also found at a construction site at the same intersection A traffic light was knocked down during Hurricane Milton at the intersection of Highway 301 and Balm Drive in Riverview 2024 JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times [ JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times ]In the wake of Hurricane Milton damage can be seen at a a construction site at the intersection of Highway 301 and Balm Drive in Riverview on Thursday JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times [ JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times ]11:49 a.m A boom in Central Oak ParkKim Westerfield was slipping off to sleep Wednesday night when she heard the boom Hurricane Milton’s gusts knocked down the decades-old pine in their front yard The tree landed across their street in Central Oak Park Rob and a neighbor began hacking at the trunk to clear a path ”We’re a community coming together,” he said over the roar of his chainsaw Keith Westerfield saws a tree landed across their street in Central Oak Park in St [ OLIVIA GEORGE | Times ]11:47 a.m Petersburg Police Chief Tony Holloway has reported two fatalities from Wednesday night: One was medical and the other was a person found in a park Officials are considering both deaths to be storm related though they don’t yet know the exact cause decided to stay in their mobile home in Wimauma and not go to a shelter They thought the hurricane-force winds from Milton would only last a couple of hours both said it would be the last time they did that but it was the worst night we’ve ever experienced,” said Wilber Baptiste live in a mobile home that was built more than two decades ago.” The largest branches of the tree above the house fell in the parking area,” said Eronie Noel Baptiste “That’s why we think it was a miracle.” — Juan Carlos Chavez As Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood came to life Thursday morning the scars from Hurricane Milton were apparent The steeple atop Central Avenue’s Watermark Church was askew But the overall effect was one of a bullet dodged Pinellas County lifted its evacuation order just after 10:30 a.m Bridges to the county’s barrier islands have also been reopened residents are being asked to avoid “unnecessary travel” because of the hazards still blocking many roads Petersburg officials gave updates on several issues around the city related to Hurricane Milton at a press conference Thursday morning Mayor Ken Welch said Hurricane Milton intensified quickly “and gave us little time to prepare.” Addressing a section of crane that fell into a building said the 500-foot crane’s T-section arm snapped off in a wind gust above the roof at the Residences at 400 Central under construction Tyre called it a “best case scenario” that only the 100-foot wide section fell over First Avenue South He said a portable crane will be needed to remove that fallen section If the whole crane had been pulled over by gusts the damage would’ve been over 600 to 700 feet Tyre said the city could look at what it could do to strengthen regulation of cranes He said an engineer is being flown in to service the two remaining cranes at 400 Central Petersburg’s city development administrator said “a majority” of the outer roof and inner roof was ripped and blown off of Tropicana Field Tyre said when the Trop was renovated it was rated to handle a fastest mile speed of 102 to 110 miles per hour No first responders were inside at the time as they were relocated Some security and Tampa Bay Rays staff were present Tampa residents who want to know if their neighborhood has been cleared for re-entry can check its status here Tampa police and city crews worked to clear a fallen tree blocking Davis Boulevard Police were blocking vehicle traffic onto the Island Thursday morning Workers cut down a tree that fell down during Hurricane Milton and blocked an exit route off of the Davis Islands neighborhood near the intersection of Davis Boulevard and Aegean Avenue on Thursday [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]10:36 a.m Chainsaws start up in SeffnerBelow Interstate 4 on a short stretch of N Kingsway Road in Seffner cars navigated a slalom course of fallen trees A handful of men stood on a roof with a couple of chainsaws and rope breaking down a large tree that landed squarely on a house Onlookers watch as an unidentified man uses a chainsaw to clear a fallen tree from a roof along N Kingsway Road after Hurricane Milton downed trees [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]10:33 a.m PetersburgSt .Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch on Thursday morning announced that sewage service has been restored Residents serviced by the northeast and southwest plants may now flush toilets and take showers Potable water service is also back but is under a boil water notice Welch asked that residents stay in place and off roads as they are still “very dangerous.” Police were able to make their first push to assess damage at 3 a.m Welch said 400,000 are without power in Pinellas County homes and cars were inundated overnight as water spilled over from a retention pond — much to neighbors’ dismay Neighbors gathered on 15th Avenue N and 28th Street N said her home is not in an evacuation zone She spent time prepping for the threat of wind damage “We never thought about this,” added neighbor Jenica Ellenberger Too Silakhom uses his kayak to check on flooding for a friend off of 28th street between13th and 16th Ave on Thursday who live in a nonevac and high elevation area unexpectedly had water in their home after it spilled from a retention pond Wednesday night from Milton on Oct [ LAUREN PEACE | Times ]10:23 a.m Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed that there were four fatalities in the county from tornadoes that touched down on Wednesday Ron DeSantis said Wednesday evening that Florida had 19 confirmed tornado touchdowns and 116 tornado warnings DeSantis said the state has yet to confirm a death toll He knows some people died during the tornadoes that hit South Florida but that it was “too soon to tell with respect to the west coast and the storm surge Sunrise was still an hour away when Jordan Bayliss arrived at Shell Point Marina in Ruskin Thursday The Eckerd College student had ridden out Hurricane Milton at his family home in Sun City Center but he couldn’t wait a moment longer to see how his sailboat had fared during the storm the Morgan 32 boat that Bayliss named Wild Child was spared from serious storm damage despite facing hurricane-force winds The southern Hillsborough County community suffered major storm surge during Hurricane Helene and piles of debris still lined the curbs of homes along Shell Point Road and other coastal roads Wednesday afternoon But break of day on Thursday showed that most of the sodden debris piles were still intact Fallen tree limbs made some roads difficult to navigate but there was little sign of damage to homes and businesses “It didn’t feel quite as bad,” said Bayliss 20 work together to tie a boat that broke free from the dock overnight as Hurricane Milton moved through the area on Thursday [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]10:13 a.m Jane Castor says Tampa was luckier than St PeteAfter surveying the city from a helicopter Thursday Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the city of Tampa was luckier in comparison to St Tampa workers responded to three house fires overnight and several downed trees Most of the city’s damage was related to flooding and debris Castor said she saw extensive flooding in the South Tampa area Port Tampa area and along Dale Mabry near the stadium where she said some car lots were under water She referred to an area along Fowler Avenue as “Lake Fowler,” north and south of the road and including the University Mall area and some residential areas She said the University of South Florida looked good but she saw a small area of flooding; Castor said she informed USF president Rhea Law about it City officials asked residents to stay off roadways until they have been cleared of debris and flooding and officials say it’s safe. Those wishing to help with cleanup can volunteer at tampa.gov/helpTampa Deputies dragged big branches off the road and people worked with chainsaws and by hand to start cleaning up In the Palmetto Beach neighborhood of Tampa the entire side of a three-story building collapsed into a great heap of sopping wood revealing a perfect cross-section of the industrial coatings business office chairs and manila folders sat exposed to the breeze a bookshelf precariously tilted near the edge at a 45-degree angle a boxed set of cocktail glasses perched on one shelf A building loses its front side around the Palmetto Beach neighborhood during Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]10:02 a.m. Sunshine Skyway is openThe Sunshine Skyway Bridge reopened joining the Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges The Courtney Campbell Causeway is still closed The Tampa International Airport is repairing “minimal damage” and should be open no later than Friday Ron DeSantis said in a Thursday morning news conference Airport officials said Thursday morning that they are conducting an assessment of conditions on the airfield and throughout the facilities Officials plan to announce a reopening plan later on Thursday after an inspection of the 3,300-acre campus and its buildings has been completed saw something unusual in the middle of her path as she walked around after Hurricane Milton Thursday: a sinkhole Residents of the Moss Landing apartment complex in Riverview quickly gathered around the sinkhole blocking the only way in and out for at least fifty houses.”It will take some time to fix it” said William Wells Residents of the Moss Landing apartment complex in Riverview 2024 around a sinkhole that opened during Hurricane Milton [ JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times ]9:45 a.m Here’s a look at Milton’s wind and rain effectsWhile Tampa Bay was spared the worst of Hurricane Milton’s wrath wind and rain battered the region and caused widespread damage Meteorologists with the National Weather Service’s regional office in Ruskin had been up all night Hurricane-force winds extended across the Tampa Bay area, with the highest gust recorded at 105 miles per hour at Egmont Channel, according to Austen Flannery, a meteorologist with the Tampa Bay office. Read more here With the Gandy and Howard Frankland bridges reopened, Tampa Bay bridges are recovering at a far faster clip than they did in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene light fixtures toppled and mounds of sludge littered roadways Storm surge poses the biggest risk to bridges during a hurricane an engineering professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Hurricane Milton’s winds pushed water out of Tampa Bay Wednesday night perhaps protecting low-lying local bridges from effects seen during Helene Check for bridge status updates here. — Shauna Muckle On Thursday morning, dog walkers, cyclists and joggers paused to see and take pictures of what used to be Tropicana Field’s roof Most heard the sound of the rooftop blowing in the middle of the storm overnight Some saw pieces blowing from the tops of nearby buildings Petersburg about two weeks ago to watch his mother’s dog while she was away the Houston resident has experienced two hurricanes distraught by the news of the Tropicana Field’s damage wanted to collect pieces to memorialize it Watching from a parking garage as the roof blew away and Jordan Callahan pose with a piece of Tropicana Field's rooftop outside the stadium on Thursday [ IVY NYAYIEKA | Ivy Nyayieka ]9:22 a.m Pinellas borders and barrier islands reopenPinellas County borders and barrier islands are reopened Residents should stay home if possible and use extreme caution on the roads if driving is neccessary Emergency response and road clearing crews will continue recovery over several days asking that drivers be mindful of road crews and slow down at work zones Power has not been restored to large parts of the county said the state has sent in engineers on the state’s dime to help with water main breaks in Pinellas Those breaks are on county lines and municipal lines Repair workers are slowly raising the pressure in the lines to figure out where exactly the breaks are Four of five hospitals have had their water pressure stabilized and one hospital is under an active evacuation He did not say which hospital was under evacuation “We stand by ready to support Pinellas and St Pete and other municipalities to help them get that water back on and running,” Guthrie said Just before 9 a.m., St. Pete Fire Rescue began blocking off the intersection of 1st Ave S and 4th Street S with caution tape. That didn’t stop the dozens of onlookers and media from standing behind the barrier and pointing their cameras toward the large crane wedged in the corner of the Times’ office building Pete Fire and Rescue work the scene at intersection of 1st Ave S and 4th Street S in St A large crane fell into the Tampa Bay Times office building as Hurricane Milton whipped the bay area [ MAX CHESNES | Times ]9:08 a.m standing water and uprooted treesDown East Bay Drive in Largo Thursday morning Largo Police blocked off main intersections as signs for several businesses hung in tatters Along East Bay Drive to Roosevelt Boulevard to the Gateway Express Some mobile homes had several inches of standing water Billboards were blown out and the nets at entertainment center Top Golf were shredded Ron DeSantis said this morning that the state was still doing damage assessments but the storm surge that many feared was not as bad as Helene this was not the worst-case scenario,” DeSantis said “Definitely the surge did not reach Helene levels.” He said he didn’t expect damage from the storm to be as extensive as Hurricane Ian which landed in Southwest Florida in 2022 and became the costliest storm in state history a historic downtown Tampa building that was once a boarding home for the Black community during the era of segregation [ PAUL GUZZO | Times ]What appears to be pieces of a green wall from inside the Jackson house now lie in the parking lot outside of the historic downtown Tampa building Yet the Jackson house, once a boarding home for the Black community during the era of segregation 4,000-square-foot structure at at 851 E Zack St so it’s hard to know if any other damage was done during hurricane Milton It’s hoped that the turn of the 20th century building will be restored and turned into a Black history museum said they were the only residents of their Davis Islands condo building who stayed for the storm All their neighbors evacuated — but Dick just had surgery and couldn’t sit for extended periods in a plane or car Linda baked 10 dozen of her father’s Italian cookies so they’d have something to eat while anxiously listening to the howling wind But as they scoped out the exterior Thursday morning they texted good news to their neighbors: the water had barely gotten into the bottom floor of the ground floor parking garage Sailboats bobbed in calm waters in a marina across the street Ron DeSantis said the Gandy Bridge and Howard Frankland Bridge have been inspected and are open Inspections of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge are underway There is debris on the Skyway and the Courtney Campbell Causeway but once that is cleared DeSantis said he anticipates the bridges opening later this morning Drone photos provide an early look at the extent of the damage from the collapse of a crane in downtown St. Petersburg into an office building that houses the Tampa Bay Times and other businesses. See them here According to CNN Hillsborough County has deployed three amphibious vehicles in rescues at an assisted living facility and a Holiday Inn hotel in Plant City “We have almost a hundred residents up there,” Sheriff Chad Chronister told CNN of the assisted living facility “And that’s certainly going to be a more prolonged rescue operation.” The Plant City Holiday Inn was filled with people who evacuated “These aren’t people who didn’t heed the warning These are individuals in areas where we’ve never seen flooding And to go from no flooding to 3 feet of water up over your knees I could imagine how frightening that was for everybody here,” Chronister said Dunedin city officials warned residents to flush toilets sparingly or not at all as the wastewater system is inoperable due to widespread power outages City staff was working to restore the system The Dunedin drinking water system is operational and the water is safe to drink Roads are blocked by downed trees and power lines and city officials warned of extensive flooding in southern portions of the city and low-lying areas Roads in and around 62 Avenue North and SW Madison Circle North in St Petersburg remained flooded as dawn approached While most areas around Tampa Bay were spared the worst of the storm’s surge heavy rains doused the area overnight and pooled in low-lying neighborhoods Flooding overtook streets in the area around 62nd Avenue N in St [ LAUREN PEACE | Times ]7:34 a.m Deputies check on residents in Riviera BayPinellas County Sheriff’s deputies pulled up to a home in Riviera Bay after receiving an emergency call earlier in the night The Sheriff’s Office had suspended responding to calls on Wednesday night after winds became too dangerous Deputies roamed around the exterior with flashlights looking in windows and a parked car Near the place Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night like so many of the Gulf Coast barrier islands from Sarasota to Clearwater it was hard to tell where the damage from one storm ended and the ruin of another began Siesta Key was silent early Thursday, save for a stiff breeze that shook the palms. At the turn from the bridge on Stickney Point Road, couches were thrown across the pavement. Read our dispatch here. — Zachary T Debris along Commonwealth Drive clogs the roadway after Hurricane Milton made landfall nearby Thursday [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]6:56 a.m Harbor Lights Club mobile home damage blursAt Harbor Lights Club the damage of two back-to-back hurricanes blended into one indistinguishable mess Some houses that were flooded here two weeks ago now appear to have collapsed from Hurricane Milton’s relentless winds water and the side of a house were strewn across the neighborhood The community was silent without electricity the faint thrumming of an alarm in the distance Damage to a mobile home in Harbor Lights Club [ MAX CHESNES | Times ]6:48 a.m Crystal River breathes sigh of reliefTwo weeks ago Hurricane Helene sent surge barreling into the Citrus County city of Crystal River Rescue crews plucked dozens of residents from soaked homes Early Thursday in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton trees limbs were strewn on roadways city wide He’d seen damage reports from wind on a few commercial businesses and heard about seawalls collapsing not bad,” he wrote in a Facebook post around 6 a.m “I will take this over storm surge any day Let us pray for those down south that have been hit hard with this.” — Olivia George Teams of Tampa Bay Times reporters and photographers captured the damage left in Milton’s wake across the greater Tampa Bay region. This post will be updated throughout the day The Ponce De Leon Hotel sign at 95 Central Avenue in St [ LAUREN PEACE | Times ]6:37 a.m YborSome windows at Amalie Arena were boarded up a window lay shattered into tiny crystals in the middle of the street The shipping container food stalls at Sparkman Wharf remained in neat rows a large piece of roofing was ripped from a business and rattled in the breeze as it draped over a fence The giant sign for IKEA strobed into the darkness A historic pillared home had its awning yanked off But the decorative lights overhanging Ybor City’s main drag on 7th Avenue shined on walked to work with a backpack slung over his shoulder just before 6:30 a.m citing Tampa’s century-long streak of avoiding direct hits Baby chicks skittered through a parking lot as roosters crowed for dawn Pinellas County closed all access points into the county just before 6 a.m Thursday “due to hazardous conditions,” per the Sheriff’s Office pic.twitter.com/2vPc4tqmVr The Florida Department of Health urges the public not to enter water due to the increased risk of water-borne illness from Hurricane Milton rain and storm surge can increase levels of bacteria Avoid swimming in coastal waters until bacterial testing shows an acceptable level in accordance with state guidelines Testing will begin as soon as conditions are safe Avoid swimming in pools until they have been cleaned and chemically balanced Debris piles amassed in the wake of Hurricane Helene largely appeared to stay intact during Hurricane Milton in Shore Acres in St there appeared an unbelievable stroke of fortune: Piles of Hurricane Helene wreckage somehow stayed put Remnants of lives lay along sidewalks and streets in tightly packed piles after Hurricane Helene couches and cabinets were lumped in into curbside mounds after record-breaking surge inundated the low-lying St Petersburg neighborhood just a few weeks ago residents worried debris would become projectiles during Milton’s assault the ruined possessions remained largely packed together and appeared not to have flown around it was hard to tell the difference between Helene’s destruction and Milton’s a large tree with snaking roots toppled over and rested with destroyed belongings on the sidewalks Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents against going outside until public safety officials Fire chief Barbara Tripp said the agency responded to 100 calls overnight including one of an individual who sustained head injuries from a fallen tree end was transported to the hospital Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said Tampa Police also performed a rescue overnight of a home with 15 individuals where a tree fell and water entered Most calls were about downed trees and wires More than 500,000 TECO customers are without power A news release said to expect outages through the day as crews begin repair efforts once the sun rises About 60 to 70 of the city’s 220 waste water plants are also without power Castor said she will assess city-wide damage with Tampa Police in a helicopter and push crews will send drones up to assess where to begin cleanup efforts we can’t lose anybody in the aftermath.” — Divya Kumar While Hurricane Helene had flooded homes and businesses along Fourth Street just a few weeks ago the stretch of road was largely untouched after Milton and a few signs from businesses had blown away massive trees spilled into roads and sidewalks in the hours after Hurricane Milton’s buzzsaw churned just a hair away from Tampa Bay Ferocious winds ripped the trees from their roots said most streets in the neighborhood were difficult to navigate Early images of Tropicana Field in the hours after Hurricane Milton show its tattered roof and a glimpse inside to where emergency workers had previously been staging An aerial view of Tropicana Field's shredded roof in downtown St. Petersburg in the wake of Hurricane Milton. [ MAX CHESNES | Times ]See more here It was quiet across downtown Tampa after Hurricane Milton passed through before sunrise The lights of one office building flickered in ripples But the needle-like spires of the University of Tampa still stood and the Straz Center’s glitzy bulbed lights continued to glow at 5 a.m The awning from the Ponce De Leon hotel in downtown St Petersburg was ripped from its building during Milton’s extreme winds [ LAUREN PEACE | Times ]In the predawn hours the hotel seemed to be one of the few buildings damaged near Beach Drive Thick branches littered the road and twisted signs lay bent from Hurricane Milton’s furious winds A palm tree lost its head by the Dali Museum and Mahaffey Theater in St [ LAUREN PEACE | Times ]Many of the popular businesses along the stretch of road appeared largely unscathed Petersburg police officer out assessing damage said downed power lines were everywhere and walking outside was dangerous Very few people had ventured out in darkness in the early hours after Milton’s wrath every street was scattered with limbs from damaged or downed banyan trees and old live oaks The eye wall of Hurricane Milton left Florida just before 5 a.m Downed power lines criss-crossed roads in Tampa which were carpeted green with leaves stripped from trees by Milton’s winds Much of the city was dark in the wee hours of Thursday morning At the Tampa Sun Estates 3 mobile home park along Nebraska Avenue pieces of metal hung limply from the side of a few homes but they otherwise remained intact mattresses and other furniture lay in the street — leftover scars from Helene blown around — but the water appeared to stay lower in this storm Winds from Hurricane Milton began to dwindle by 4 a.m Aerial imagery of Tropicana Field in downtown St Petersburg revealed the baseball diamond — still set with hundreds of beds meant to be for first responders — was littered with debris after the ballpark’s roof was ripped to shreds during the major hurricane An aerial view of Tropicana Field's shredded roof in downtown St Petersburg in the wake of Hurricane Milton [ MAX CHESNES | Times ]— Max Chesnes There are multiple reports of flooding across Tampa Bay according to the National Weather Service’s area office It remains difficult to see flooded roads in the dark particularly as power outages plague much of west Florida The agency cautions: If you encounter a flooded road downed power lines and trees have made Park Drive impassable the river flooding isn’t as severe as what was seen during Hurricane Helene Hurricane Milton continued to barrel through east central Florida as of 2 a.m The storm was moving east-northeast at 16 mph with 90 mph sustained winds Much of Gulfport’s scarred downtown was spared further destruction from Hurricane Milton which many feared could become deadly projectiles in the storm Shore Boulevard stood under a foot of water as of 3 a.m We’re on Shore Boulevard in downtown Gulfport. Piles of debris from Hurricane Helene just days ago are now soaked in the floodwaters of Hurricane #Milton pic.twitter.com/BJJd0TKG1s The only sounds were the hum of generators and croaking frogs. Wind damage along the city’s once-thriving main strip appears to be minimal. Wednesday night was a near-miss for a community that desperately needed a lucky break. In the Fruitland Heights neighborhood southwest of downtown St. Petersburg, there is nearly a foot of floodwater in the street and encroaching driveways. Hurricane Milton brings floodwater to the Fruitland Heights neighborhood southwest of downtown St. Petersburg early on the morning of Oct. 10, 2024. [ MAX CHESNES | Times ]Power lines are down, trees are blocking the road and there appears to be evidence of roof damage. The roof of Tropicana Field stadium in downtown St. Petersburgs appears to be ripped to shreds. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Max Chesnes (@maxchesnes) Two days ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the stadium would be converted to a 10,000-person base camp to support debris cleanup and first responder operations The crare that topped onto the Tampa Bay Times office appears to have taken out most of the top five stories.This is by far the worst damage we've seen so far.#Milton https://t.co/y1n4L8FA8z Read the full story here Stephanie Hayes is a columnist offering her thoughts on current events, life and culture. She can be reached at shayes@tampabay.com. Rebecca Liebson is a reporter covering real estate and housing. She can be reached at rliebson@tampabay.com. 14 year-old boy found floating on a piece of fence and rescued by teamHCSO. pic.twitter.com/m0FalN5DjZ pic.twitter.com/2vPc4tqmVr 5 am EDT - Hurricane #Milton moving off the coast of east-central Florida. Still producing damaging hurricane-force winds and heavy rains. Here are the Key Messages. Go to https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ for details. pic.twitter.com/w14GGYpPDL We’re on Shore Boulevard in downtown Gulfport. Piles of debris from Hurricane Helene just days ago are now soaked in the floodwaters of Hurricane #Milton pic.twitter.com/BJJd0TKG1s View this post on Instagram A post shared by Max Chesnes (@maxchesnes) The crare that topped onto the Tampa Bay Times office appears to have taken out most of the top five stories.This is by far the worst damage we've seen so far.#Milton https://t.co/y1n4L8FA8z There is no city hall, but there is a Denny's where Pinellas County officials would gather at a booth to strategize how to improve the community. It was Ray Neri who brought them there. His driving tours shed light on the challenges facing his community, and his tireless efforts made it better. "He basically gave me the background of Lealman," County Commissioner Ken Welch said. "I think that's his legacy he conveyed to the rest of the county — that Lealman is a community with history and with some unique needs that need to be addressed." Mr. Neri died Tuesday at Northside Hospital after he fell off a chair and hit his head, causing internal bleeding, said his wife, Laura Neri. He was 79. Mr. Neri was born in the Bronx and moved at a young age to Brooklyn, where he lived on Coney Island. At 13, he and his family moved to Lealman into a house he and his father built together, his wife said. He attended St. Petersburg High School and served in the Navy for a decade after graduating, then came back to the Tampa Bay area to attend the University of Tampa. Mr. Neri eventually started working at Zales jewelers, working his way up to regional manager. Living back in Lealman, an unincorporated area between St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park, Mr. Neri developed a passion for the area and saw a potential in it that few did, County Commissioner Charlie Justice said. He noticed it was one of the highest places above sea level in the county. He saw Joe's Creek Industrial Park as a spot for business development. He recognized the community's accessibility in its proximity to Interstate 275. "He saw it the way I think others see it now: that Lealman is a place of potential and opportunity," Justice said. Mr. Neri also saw what was preventing his community from fulfilling that potential and was determined to make everyone else see it, too. Welch, who represents a district that includes Lealman, said Mr. Neri called him up after Welch was elected to the commission in 2000 and told him they should — or, as Welch remembered it, must — meet at the Denny's at 4999 34th St. N, known to many as Lealman City Hall. He later drove Welch around the community, pointing out dilapidated housing, worn-down roads and drainage woes in the low-income area. Mr. Neri's frank persistence bloomed into tangible change. To name just a sliver: Where there was once an overgrown patch of scrub is now a peaceful preserve called Joe's Creek Greenway Park. The county formed a uniform trash collection system to help get garbage off the streets that Welch remembered seeing during his tour. Lealman became the first unincorporated community redevelopment area, a special district that keeps tax dollars within the district. His deep involvement in the community was driven by a hope for the children that lived there, said Laura Neri, 70. Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter "He thought that if we could get to them early enough, then we could change the course of some of their lives," she said, "and then in the long run that would change the community." Mr. Neri spent years bugging county officials to bring a safe place for teens to hang out that resulted in a Pinellas Sheriff's Police Athletic League center opening on 46th Avenue N. In 2011, he was appointed to the Juvenile Welfare Board, where he quickly became a key member, said Marcie Biddleman, executive director. Even in that role, his focus was on Lealman. Several volunteers from the board participated in Adopt-a-Block, a program run by the Florida Dream Center aimed at neighborhood cleanup. "You became a believer with Ray," Biddleman said. So many became believers with him, in his persistence and vision and unforgiving way of telling the truth. Welch remembered Neri's fight against annexation by surrounding cities, pushing the County Commission to step in with an honest plea: These people elected you. They need your voice. "He knew how to speak truth to power," Welch said. "I think when they made that term up, they had a picture of Ray Neri." Contact Kathryn Varn at (727) 445-4157 or kvarn@tampabay.com. Follow @kathrynvarn. Kathryn VarnFormer Times Reporter