TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Milton brought damaging and deadly impacts to Florida after making landfall near Siesta Key Thursday night.
As recovery efforts are underway and the state continues to rebuild, 10 Tampa Bay is working to keep track of those who lost their lives from the storm.
Pinellas County
St. Petersburg
Two people died in St. Petersburg after Hurricane Milton swept through the city, Police Chief Anthony Holloway said Thursday morning.
The chief made the announcement in a morning press conference with an update on conditions in St. Petersburg following Milton
Chief Holloway described one of the deaths as "medical," without further specifying what happened to the person, and the other as a person who was found dead in a park. The chief did not say which park and noted that officials are still waiting on a cause of death for that person from the medical examiner.
There was no immediate identifying information available about the victims.
Hillsborough County
Tampa
The Tampa Police Department confirmed two people have died from Hurricane Milton impacts.
The agency said an elderly woman in her early 70's was killed after a large tree branch reportedly collapsed onto her.
Officers had responded to the scene just after 11 a.m. on Thursday at North Nebraska Avenue. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
"Based on the preliminary investigation, post-hurricane restoration efforts were being done on the property, when the limb fell," TPD said in a news release. "At this time, the death appears accidental in nature."
TPD also confirmed a 55-year-old woman died from a traffic accident on Thursday.
It happened around 10:15 p.m. at the intersection of Florida Avenue and Palm Avenue. That's when officials said a 58-year-old man driving a 2005 Nissan Sentra collided with the woman, who was sitting in the passenger seat of a 2022 Hyundai Tucson.
"Due to widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Milton, the area was dark, and the traffic signal was inoperative," police said in a statement.
Officials said the impact happened on the passenger side of the Hyundai Tucson. The driver of the vehicle was not injured from the crash.
The driver of the Nissan was taken to the hospital for serious injuries, though officials said he is expected to survive.
Polk County
A Polk County worker was hit and killed while working to clean up the devastation left behind by Hurricane Milton.
According to the county, 68-year-old Bruce Kinsler, a Bartow maintenance unit service worker, served the county for about a decade. He and three other "push team" crew members from the sheriff's office and fire department were working to clear roads.
County officials say Kinsler was cutting down a fallen tree blocking U.S. 98 at Brooke Road in Fort Meade when he was hit by a car at around 5:45 a.m. Thursday.
The driver was reportedly another Polk County employee coming to join the crew for storm recovery efforts. They reportedly struck the fallen tree, pushing it into Kinsler and another crew member.
Officials say Kinsler was taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries. The driver and other coworker hit were both reportedly treated and released from the hospital.
PCSO says the suspect driver did not see the crew members or their vehicle, noting it was dark and windy at the time. They also say he showed no signs of impairment.
According to the county, Kinsler was wearing personal protective equipment, and all proper roadway safety precautions were taken.
The roadway was closed for around four hours. The investigation is ongoing.
Citrus County
A 46-year-old man was killed early Thursday morning after a tree fell on his car in Citrus County during Hurricane Milton, Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.
The man from Inverness was reportedly driving on East Parsons Point Road around 1:30 a.m. before the tree fell and hit his car east of North Tomberlin Point, FHP said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Hurricane Milton officially made landfall landfall in Siesta Key around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
St. Lucie County
Authorities said five people were killed in tornadoes in the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, where homes were destroyed, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Volusia County
According to the Associated Press, authorities confirmed two people in Volusia County — a 79-year-old woman in Ormond Beach and a 54-year-old woman in Port Orange — were killed when trees fell on homes.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
This page will be updated as 10 Tampa Bay continues to confirm more information on storm-related deaths.
