Hurricane Milton: 500+ rescued from submerged apartment complex outside Tampa
CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — A major water rescue saw more than 500 people saved from a flooded apartment complex in Clearwater following Hurricane Milton, Pinellas County officials said Thursday.
Calls came in overnight from residents trapped by rising waters at The Standard at 2690 Drew St. and US 19 across from Best Buy.
First responders were initially unable to respond due to high winds, but Clearwater police and fire crews managed to respond after winds began subsiding shortly before sunrise.
On scene, officials found chest-deep and neck-deep waters in some locations and some vehicles fully submerged.
Multiple agencies assisted in the rescue, including the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The complex reportedly housed 2,000 residents. A total of 449 adult and 116 juveniles were rescued from 178 different units.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said it is the most significant water rescue he has seen in Pinellas County.
Roadways across Pinellas County have also reopened Thursday morning after shutting down due to hazardous conditions caused by Hurricane Milton.
Officials said traffic light outages, downed power lines, flooding, and significant debris are blocking roads.
Access to the county and the barrier islands was restored Thursday at 8:45 a.m., and all major bridges have been reopened.
The county got 18 inches of rainfall and had wind gusts over 100 mph, and more than 70,000 residents remain without power. Flooding caused a few evacuations at a Largo hospital.
Many residents are under a boil water notice and should boil their water for an additional minute after it reaches its boiling point to ensure clean water.
Pinellas County housed more than 11,000 residents in shelters. At noon, only 7,000 remained sheltered, as many residents are returning home.
Rescue operations are underway throughout the county and officials urge residents to stay home unless it’s necessary to leave, as crews are working on recovery efforts.
Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday near Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm.
Visit Disaster.Pinellas.gov to report any damage to your home. The County Information Center can be reached at 727-464-4333.