More than a dozen people were rescued from a Tampa home after a tree, downed by Hurricane Milton, crashed into the residence. Bodycam footage shared by the Tampa Police Department shows officers informing the home’s residents that they will be ferried to safety in multiple emergency vehicles. Officers can also be seen helping an elderly woman and encouraging three children into the back of a cruiser, offering reassurance throughout the process. The officers arrived at the house shortly before 10 p.m., taking shelter less than two miles away and responding as soon as there was a break in the storm. All of the occupants were safely removed from the home, with an officer also turning off the main power before leaving. Department chief Lee Bercaw commended the officers for their swift actions, providing the family with a sense of safety in a time of fear and uncertainty.
The Tampa Police Department reported that the home was occupied by 15 people, including multiple children. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, Florida on Wednesday night, weakening as it moved across the Florida peninsula and mostly over the Atlantic Ocean by early Thursday. The Tampa area avoided a direct hit but was still threatened by storm surge. The officers’ quick response in evacuating the home during the storm provided the family with a sense of safety amidst the chaos. The department emphasized their commitment to the safety of the community, with Chief Bercaw praising the officers’ actions in providing the family with a sense of security during a time of fear and uncertainty. The footage shared by the Tampa Police Department captured the officers’ dedication to ensuring the safety of the residents and successfully evacuating them from the home during the hurricane.
In the bodycam footage, officers can be seen guiding the residents out of the home and into emergency vehicles, reassuring them throughout the process. The officers provided assistance to an elderly woman and encouraged three children, offering words of comfort and support as they were brought to safety in a nearby shelter at an elementary school. The officers arrived at the house shortly before 10 p.m., having taken shelter close by and responding quickly once there was a break in the storm. All occupants were removed from the home safely, with an officer also turning off the main power before leaving. The department highlighted the officers’ dedication to ensuring the safety of the community, with Chief Bercaw commending their swift actions during a time of crisis.
The Tampa Police Department responded to the downed tree at the home during Hurricane Milton, evacuating more than a dozen residents, including children, to safety. The bodycam footage captured the officers’ assistance in guiding the residents out of the home and into emergency vehicles during a break in the storm, with an officer providing reassurance to the children throughout the process. The department commended the officers for their quick response and commitment to the safety of the community, ensuring that the family was safely evacuated from the residence before leaving and turning off the main power. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, Florida, posing a significant threat to the Tampa area with storm surge, but the community was spared a direct hit. The officers’ actions in evacuating the home during the storm exemplified their dedication to ensuring the safety and security of the residents during a time of fear and uncertainty.
The Tampa Police Department shared bodycam footage showing officers evacuating more than a dozen residents from a home during Hurricane Milton, after a tree fell on the residence. The officers assisted the residents, including children, in getting to safety, providing reassurance and support during the evacuation process. The department highlighted the officers’ swift response and commitment to the safety of the community, with Chief Bercaw commending their actions in ensuring the family was safely removed from the home before leaving and turning off the main power. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, Florida, before weakening and moving across the Florida peninsula. The Tampa area was threatened by storm surge, but the community avoided a direct hit, thanks to the diligent efforts of the officers in evacuating the residents during the storm.
