Watch Fla. Police Evacuate Home Struck by Tree in Hurricane Milton

Body camera footage captured Tampa police officers quickly clearing out over a dozen people, including children, from a home that had a tree crash through from Hurricane Milton's high winds.

Joe Vince

Oct. 10, 2024

2 min read

As Hurricane Milton hit landfall Wednesday, Florida police worked quickly to evacuate a home with over a dozen people inside after a tree fell on it.

The rescue happened shortly before 10 p.m. when Tampa police officers sheltering from the horrendous storm received a 9-1-1 call about a downed tree that struck a house, the department stated in a news release. In recently body camera footage, officers moves 15 people, including children, into vehicles so they could be taken to a nearby shelter.

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"Every member of this department is committed to the safety of our community," said Chief Lee Bercaw in a statement. "The swift actions taken by these officers during a break in the storm bands provided this family with a sense of safety in a time of fear and uncertainty."

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key as Category 3 storm at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, NBC News reports. As of 5 a.m. Thursday, the eye of the storm was just northeast of Cape Canaveral, and it had become a Category 1 hurricane.

Four people have died because of the storm. The deaths came in St. Lucie County on the state's east coast after tornadoes set off by the hurricane tore through the area.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.