However, rainfall exceeded expectations. The city, home to 3.3 million residents, received the equivalent of five months’ worth of rain in just a few hours. Streets in the Tampa Bay area were flooded with over 9 inches (228 mm) of rain in just three hours, accompanied by violent wind gusts.
St. Petersburg declared the rainfall as a “1,000-year event” (a term describing an extreme weather event with a 0.1% probability of occurring each year). City officials shut off water services across the entire city to respond to a major water main break.
Power outages swept across Florida, with 2 million homes and businesses losing electricity within just three hours, according to PowerOutage.us.
Residents were still being urged not to venture outside, even though the worst of the storm seemed to have passed. Downed power lines and other hazards remained a significant threat to life. There have already been reports of casualties related to the hurricane.
READ MORE
- Hurricane Milton Could Be the Worst US Storm to Hit the Area in 100 Years: Evacuation Zones Mapped
- A Simulation Illustrating the Potential Catastrophic Impact and Expected Locations in the Coming Hours
