Mayor Jane Castor, joined by Police Chief Lee Bercaw and Fire Chief Barbara Tripp, held a news conference Thursday morning about the damage the city of Tampa sustained during Hurricane Milton.

After days of fearing a catastrophic direct hit, Tampa seems to have fared better after Hurricane Milton than it did during Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor had another dire warning to residents in evacuation zones who planned to ride out Hurricane Milton in their houses. Milton is forecast to bring storm surges of up 8 to 12 feet to Tampa Bay when it makes landfall.