The direction of Milton’s eyewall kept the highest storm surge out of Tampa Bay — which officials had for days said could pose a catastrophic, once-in-a-century threat and prompted one of the largest evacuations in Florida’s history. The storm still left a trail of destruction.

Hurricane Milton shredded Tropicana Field’s roof, snapped power lines and toppled a massive crane into the headquarters of the Tampa Bay Times in downtown St. Petersburg.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Milton brought intense winds to Tampa Bay as it approached Florida’s west coast. Video taken by NewsNation reporter Brian Entin showed a construction crane being spun by Milton’s winds hours before landfall.