Hurricane Milton made landfall in October 2024 about 70 miles south of Tampa, near Siesta Key, as a Category 3 storm. The surge that had been feared for Tampa did not arrive, but the rain was heavy across the region, with St. Petersburg reporting more than 16 inches, and tornadoes also struck. This guide sets out the reported facts and what a homeowner on the bay side can take from them. The figures are from regional and national news coverage, not from a measurement this service made.
Key takeaways
- Milton's landfall was about 70 miles south of Tampa, near Siesta Key, and the surge feared for Tampa did not arrive
- The rain was the larger local story, with more than 16 inches reported at St. Petersburg
- Reported totals varied across the region, and the highest figures came from particular places rather than the whole county
- Tornadoes struck across Florida ahead of landfall, and the reported home losses from them were mostly mobile homes
- A bay-side homeowner should plan for the surge case even in years when it does not come
- The lessons are practical: seal the lowest openings, clear the drains and keep a record of each storm
What did Milton do when it reached Florida?
Milton made landfall in October 2024 as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa. The surge that had been feared for Tampa did not come in the way it was expected.
Coverage in the days around the storm reported that Milton came ashore south of the Tampa Bay area, and that the surge which had been feared for Tampa did not arrive. The storm's effects still reached the whole region, through wind, rain and tornadoes that moved ahead of the center. For a homeowner in Tampa, the lesson is that a storm can cause serious water losses even when the surge that was most feared does not reach the city.
Because the storm came ashore to the south, the bay side of Tampa was not at the center of the surge. The homes on the low ground still took water from rain and from the wind, and the preparation that was made for the surge is still worth keeping for future storms.
How much rain fell, and where?
Rain was the larger local story. Reported totals were more than 16 inches at St. Petersburg, about 13.5 inches at Plant City by the city manager's estimate, and up to 18 inches in some parts of the state, according to the governor.
Those are the figures reported in news coverage at the time. Rainfall varies over a short distance, and a single figure for a whole county hides the difference between one neighborhood and the next. The highest totals were reported at particular places, and the homes in those places took water through their doors, roofs and walls in a way that the average figure does not show.
The table below sets out the reported figures so they can be read with their sources. A homeowner should not treat any of them as a measure of the rain at their own property.
| Place | Reported figure | Where it was reported |
|---|---|---|
| St. Petersburg | More than 16 inches | Regional news report, October 2024 |
| Plant City | 13.5 inches (city manager's estimate) | Regional news report, October 2024 |
| Some parts of the state | Up to 18 inches (governor's statement) | State statement reported in news, October 2024 |
What about the tornadoes?
Milton spawned tornadoes across Florida, and about 125 homes were reported destroyed by them before landfall, mostly mobile homes. No breakdown for Hillsborough County was found.
The tornadoes moved ahead of the storm, and they caused damage that was separate from the water. Reported counts describe the state as a whole, and the reported homes were mostly mobile homes. This guide does not give a Hillsborough County count, because none was found, and it does not infer one from the state figure.
For a homeowner, the tornado lesson is about the openings in the house. A broken window, a damaged roof edge or a missing door panel lets rain in at once, and the water work starts with closing those openings where it is safe to do so.
Why is the bay side still a surge question?
Because the surge was feared for Tampa and did not come this time, which is not a promise about the next storm. Homes on the low ground near the water should plan for the surge case.
Surge depends on the track, the wind and the tide, and a storm that comes ashore elsewhere can still push water into the bay. A homeowner on the low ground near the water should know the lowest floor and the lowest door of the house, and should keep the records of the water line from any past storm.
Surge water that reaches a building is judged on site, and it is handled more strictly than rain. The bay-side plan is therefore a plan for the category of water as well as for the amount.
What did the storm teach about the openings?
The openings that let the water in are the lessons that matter most: the lowest door, the garage, the sliding door track, the window head and the gutter that overflows at the wall.
Rain driven by the wind enters the house at the openings on the storm side, and the water runs down inside the wall before it shows on the surface. Sealing the lowest door and the sliding door track, clearing the gutters and fixing the window head where it is leaking are the steps with the most effect. Those steps are for trades that repair doors, windows and gutters, and the water work records where they are needed.
A homeowner who walks the house before the next season and notes each opening that feels draughty, looks wet or has a worn seal has the list that matters most.
What is the record of a storm worth?
A record of the storm, the water line, the photographs and the readings is what an insurer and a repair trade need, and it helps the homeowner see the pattern across seasons.
A homeowner should photograph the water line, the entry and the rooms before anything is moved, and should note the date and the time the water was seen. The readings the crew takes add to that record. Over several storms the record shows which openings take water and which are sound.
The record does not show the cause of the storm loss in a legal sense. That is for the insurer to decide, and the insurance claims guide on this site sets out the general pattern a homeowner should expect.
What does this mean for a two-county area?
The storm reached both sides of the bay. The Pinellas areas use Pinellas County's contacts and permits, and a homeowner should check the county named on the property before calling any office.
Milton's rain and its tornadoes reached Pinellas County as well as Hillsborough. The service area includes four areas on the Pinellas side of the bay, and their county offices and permits are Pinellas's. The water work is the same on either side, but the paperwork that follows a loss is not, so the county has to be named on the record.
The homeowner should confirm the county from the property's own records before calling the county office. The crew names the county on each job, so the record is correct from the start.
What this guide cannot tell you
It cannot give a Hillsborough County home-damage count from the storm, a figure for any particular street or a prediction of the next storm's track. Those were not sourced, and they are not stated here.
The guide is limited to the facts reported in the news coverage and in the governor's statement. A homeowner who wants a figure for a particular place should look for the official county or city record for that place, and should not take a regional figure as the figure for their own street.
The line is answered 24/7 on (833) 490-5225. For the water work on a property, the crew reads the property itself, because no regional figure can replace a reading taken on the wall.
How should a homeowner read a regional rainfall figure?
A regional figure describes a wide area and a single storm. It does not measure the rain on any one property, and a homeowner should not treat it as their own figure.
Rainfall varies over short distances, and a storm's heaviest bands can pass over one part of a county and miss another. The figures reported for St. Petersburg, Plant City and the state as a whole are useful for understanding the storm, but they are not a measurement of a particular house. For that, the homeowner's own readings, photographs and the water line are the record that counts.
A homeowner who wants to know how the storm affected their street should look for the local record, such as the readings and photographs taken at the time, and should keep them with the storm's date. Those are more useful to an insurer or a repair trade than any regional figure.
What should a bay-side homeowner prepare now?
The preparation is practical: know the lowest opening, know the shut-off, keep the drains clear and keep the record of the water line from each storm.
Walk the property and find the lowest opening on each side. Note where water would stand first in a heavy rain and where it would reach the house. Know the main shut-off and how to reach it, and keep the line's number, (833) 490-5225, with the emergency papers.
Keep a simple record of each storm, with the date, the water line if there was one, the photographs and any readings. Over several storms that record shows which openings take water and which are sound, and it is the homeowner's own evidence of the local pattern.
Frequently asked questions
Did the surge reach Tampa during Milton?
Coverage reported that the surge feared for Tampa did not arrive in the way it was expected. The storm still caused serious water losses from rain, wind and tornadoes across the region.
How much rain did the storm drop on Tampa?
The figures reported include more than 16 inches at St. Petersburg and 13.5 inches at Plant City by the city manager's estimate. Rain varies over short distances, so a regional figure is not a measure of any one property.
Were many houses destroyed by the tornadoes?
About 125 homes were reported destroyed across Florida before landfall, mostly mobile homes. No Hillsborough County breakdown was found, so none is given here.
Should I still plan for surge if it did not come?
Yes, for the low ground near the water. The storm's track decides the surge, and a storm elsewhere can still push water into the bay.
What should I do first after a storm like this?
Shut off the source if it is safe, photograph the water line and the rooms, and call the line on (833) 490-5225. Keep the record for the insurer and the repair trade.
Sources
- National Hurricane Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Weather Service, Tampa Bay office
- Pinellas County government
This guide is general information for Hillsborough County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.