Hurricane Milton tore through Florida on Wednesday, causing a wake of destruction in its path. The storm left roads flooded, trees uprooted and structures destroyed. Now, the state is trying to pick up the pieces.
To get ready for the storm, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) locked down bridges in Palm Beach County. They were closed to boat traffic on Tuesday and will remain closed until FDOT assesses the bridge's and waterways for damage.
On Thursday, FDOT opened three bridges that connect Pinellas to Manatee and Hillsborough counties, including the Sunshine Skyway.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay closed at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Tampa Bay area bridges close when wind speeds exceed 45 miles per hour, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
FDOT reported the Howard Frankland Bridge and Gandy Bridge, which connect Tampa to parts of Pinellas County, are open, too. The Courtney Campbell Causeway, which connects Clearwater to Tampa, remains closed.
Officials are urging residents to stay in place until roads and other infrastructure can be cleared for safety. Officials are warning of downed power lines with live wires being hidden underneath debris.
“We are encouraging them to stay away from debris where there would potentially be any type of overhead wire,” said Melissa Seixas, Florida president of Duke Energy, in an interview with CNN.
Residents who fled Florida's west coast ahead of the hurricane began to go back home on Thursday. Heavy traffic on Interstate 75 westbound stretched for miles.
Some communities are cut off, such as Boca Grande's barrier island community. The only bridge to the island was closed after the island was hit with a five-foot storm surge.
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Source: CNN, USA Today, News-JournalOnline.com, Bradenton Herald, CBS
