Hurricane Milton caused widespread destruction across Florida, from the Panhandle to the Atlantic, flooding neighborhoods, destroying homes, and causing a crane to collapse into an office building. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds and spawned tornadoes across the state. At least two deaths were reported in Fort Pierce, and over 3 million homes and businesses lost power. The Tampa Bay area experienced a reverse storm surge that drove water away from the shoreline. The storm also led to a spike in fuel demand, affecting oil prices, and Taylor Swift donated $5 million to hurricane relief efforts. In St. Petersburg, a crane collapsed near a building construction site, causing damage to a nearby office building, but with no reported injuries. The storm also damaged the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, which had been repurposed as a base camp for emergency responders. Tornadoes ripped through parts of southwest Florida, causing extensive damage in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Analysts estimated that Hurricane Milton could result in losses of up to $100 billion for the global insurance industry, with insured losses potentially reaching $60-100 billion if the storm makes direct landfall in the Tampa area.
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