More than 500 people were rescued from an apartment complex outside Tampa that was flooded by Hurricane Milton, authorities said Thursday.
The Standard apartments in Clearwater were swamped by floodwaters after Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday south of the city. Water levels reached second-floor balconies throughout the complex.
“The water got up real fast and quick,” resident Ed Parrado told local Fox affiliate WTVT. “[It got to] about my waist level, and I’m about 6 feet tall.”
First responders from throughout the area spent hours retrieving stranded residents from the flooded apartments. Of the complex’s approximately 2,000 residents, 449 adults and 116 children were rescued, local NBC affiliate WFLA reported.
Authorities said there were no serious injuries at the site. Videos showed cops and firefighters using rafts to transport people from the complex down flooded streets.
“If you were evacuated from The Standard apartment complex this morning because of high water, do not wait around for re-entry. It is not safe,” the Clearwater Fire Department warned Thursday morning on Facebook. “The apartment complex will let you know when it’s safe to return and we will also share that information on social media.”
The operation in Clearwater was one of at least two massive rescues in the Tampa area during the storm. At a senior living facility in Tampa, more than 100 people were helped to safety after the area was flooded by Milton.
At least 12 people have been killed by the storm, and millions of Floridians lost power as it wreaked havoc on the state’s infrastructure. Additionally, the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays’ ballpark was almost entirely destroyed, and a construction crane collapsed into a building in St. Petersburg.
