In its 5 a.m. update Thursday, the National Hurricane Center warned that winds at about 85 mph are expected for a few more hours in Florida.

Hurricane Milton hurled rain, tornadoes and tropical storm-force winds at the U.S. coast Wednesday on the storm’s steady, potentially catastrophic march toward Florida, where officials issued a final plea to residents to evacuate or face grim odds of survival.

Tropicana Field’s roof was shorn off. A giant craned crashed into a building. But the Tampa Bay region didn’t experience the worst-case scenario from Milton.

Tampa Bay was spared from deadly storm surge during milton due to a strange phenomenon called reverse storm surge. Here's why, what that is.