Check out Tampa Bay's weather webcams as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida

Kathleen William October 10, 2024

More than 2.8 million people are without power after Hurricane Milton hit Florida cities with winds of 120 miles per hour.

A spate of tornadoes struck settlements along the coast, but a direct hit in Tampa was avoided.

The storm moved south in recent hours and made landfall Wednesday evening in Siesta Key near Sarasota, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa.

The situation in the Tampa area was still a major emergency as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.

The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged

Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg, appeared to be heavily damaged.

The fabric that serves as the roof of the domed stadium was torn to pieces by the fierce winds. It was not immediately clear whether there was any damage inside. According to the weather service, several cranes also fell during the storm.

The residents of St. Petersburg were also no longer able to get water from their household taps because the city had to stop water supply operations due to a water main failure.

The storm knocked out power across much of Florida, leaving more than 2.8 million homes and businesses without power early Thursday, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.

The warning was issued by President Joe Biden, who canceled a planned trip to Europe and told reporters: “I just don't think I can be out of the country at this point.”