Several law enforcement agencies in the Tampa Bay region have suspended emergency services as Hurricane Milton made landfall in southwestern Florida Wednesday night.
Millions of residents were urged to evacuate ahead of the Category 3 storm reaching Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday night. The storm made landfall near Siesta Key around 8:30 p.m. ET, although its impact stung much earlier, with torrential downpours, storm surges and tornado warnings issued across the Sunshine State during the day Wednesday.
The Tampa Bay region has avoided getting directly struck by a hurricane for more than a century. The National Weather Service (NWS) said in a forecast Wednesday morning that Milton hitting just south of metro Tampa, home to over 3.3 million people, puts the city at an even higher risk of heavy rainfall and storm surge.
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The storm will delay emergency services’ response time in the hardest-hit areas. Some law enforcement departments announced ahead of Milton making landfall that they planned to pull their officers off the road while conditions were life-threatening, adding that first responders would resume activity once conditions lightened.
Several road closures were also announced along Florida’s west coast. In Pinellas County, access to the barrier islands was closed Tuesday night, though remaining residents were still able to evacuate. The county Sheriff’s Office said in a post to its Facebook page that restricted access to the islands would be restored “once law enforcement determines it is safe to re-open.”
Below is a full list of emergency departments in the Tampa Bay region that have suspended emergency response services.
Pinellas County
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said it pulled its deputies off the roads Wednesday. Officers will respond to emergency calls once conditions are safe enough for travel.
“As hurricane conditions worsen, emergency responders may not be able to get to you until the storm subsides,” Pinellas County said in an update Wednesday.
“Emergency response agencies are now pulling crews off the roads due to worsening storm conditions,” officials added.
Manatee County
Emergency services in Manatee County were suspended around 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, officials said in a post to X, formerly Twitter. Calls to 911 will be “logged and queued based on priority” while response is paused. First responders will address the calls as soon as conditions allow, the post added.
Pasco County
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said rescue operations would be “temporarily slowed due to extreme weather conditions” in a post to X at 6:23 p.m. ET, but added that residents “can still call 911 for assistance.”
The county’s Fire Rescue emergency service was also suspended starting at 7:28 p.m. ET. The department said in a post on its Facebook page that it was “constantly monitoring weather conditions and will respond to calls for service when it’s safe.”
“If you’re in danger, please call 911, and give us all the details of your situation,” the post added. “We’ll get to you when we can.”
Sarasota Police
The Sarasota Police Department said on X that its last patrol vehicle had returned to its headquarters around 5:39 p.m. ET Wednesday and that emergency services are “grounded” until conditions improve.
“Sustained wind speeds are too strong for emergency services to respond,” the department said. “We will now wait out the storm, just like you, and once it passes, we will begin our rescue and recovery process.”
St. Petersburg Police
The St. Petersburg Police Department said ahead of Milton’s arrival that it would temporarily suspend emergency services once conditions become “unsafe or life-threatening for our responders.”
“We’ll be ready to respond as soon as it’s safe,” said police Chief Anthony Holloway in a video message shared to X.
Calls to 911 will remain open throughout the storm, the department added. Officers will respond to calls once it is safe to do so.
Clearwater Police
The Clearwater Police Department said in a post to X at 6:34 p.m. ET Wednesday that its officers had “been pulled from the road as conditions from #hurricanemilton have worsened.”
“They will return to the road to answer calls when conditions improve,” the department added. “Residents should remain at home and stay safe as well.”
