The arrival of Hurricane Milton will inevitably have prompted recollections for many of what was then the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida.
In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida before making a second US landfall in Louisiana.
It remains one of the top five most powerful hurricanes ever to strike the US, killing 65 people and devastating South Florida in what was a horrific experience for those living in the region.
At that time, what seemed to be a weak tropical wave with little signs of development, quickly evolved into a rapidly intensifying hurricane on its approach to the Florida Peninsula.
It was the state’s costliest in financial terms and most destructive in terms of structures damaged or destroyed until Hurricane Irma surpassed it 25 years later.
‘Damaging’ winds continue even as hurricane moves away
Hurricane Milton is moving away off Florida’s east coast, according to the National Hurricane Center in the US.
But it is still producing “damaging hurricane-force winds” and heavy rainfall in eastern and central areas of the state, the agency warns.
The agency also shared a map of confirmed tornadoes which developed yesterday associated with Milton.
‘Please stay inside’: Mayor’s warning in Florida city about risks of hurricane’s aftermath
The mayor of Tampa has told residents to stay indoors even though Hurricane Milton has passed.
Jane Castor said that while the city had “survived” the storm, she did not want to “lose anybody in the aftermath”.
She warned that power lines had been brought down across the region and flooding was also expected this morning.
“Please, please stay inside until we can get out there with our teams to assess the damage and make sure it’s safe for you to go back out into your community or to re-enter your neighbourhood, ” she said.
‘Rivers are going to flood’
Speaking during a pre-dawn press conference, Ms Castor added: “One of the blessings for us is that we didn’t see that predicted storm surge, that saved a lot.
“But it’s not over… when high tide comes in rivers are going to flood.”
She also praised households for complying with evacuation orders, which she said had “saved, if not lives, then a lot of injuries”.
The city’s fire chief Barbara Tripp said they had received more than 100 emergency calls overnight – including from a resident who suffered a head injury when a tree fell on their home.
Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw added that 15 people, including young children, had been rescued from another home “where a tree fell and water was coming in”.
Residents have also been warned not to drive in the region or enter any flood waters due to the risk of bacteria from flooded sewage systems.
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