Hurricane Milton updates: 16 dead across Florida in storm's aftermath

St. Petersburg resident Kristy Austin was horrified when Milton’s rains and 101 mph winds flooded her eighth-floor apartment.

"We thought the windows were going to blow and then cut us and might kill us," she told ABC News.

Austin said she took cover all night in the building’s stairwell.

“There was too much water coming in, and we just took blankets, and we took, we had emergency bags with our birth certificates. … And we just kept climbing up the staircase in the stairwell,” she said.

"The whistling of the storm, it was really scary," Austin said, describing it as "like a freight train."

-ABC News’ Jaclyn Lee

Milton brought 18 inches of rain and powerful winds to St. Petersburg, causing flooding and severe damage to key infrastructure, including drinking water systems, power lines and sewage facilities, city officials said.

"While we were spared the worst of the predicted storm surge, we still have significant issues to address," a city official said.

Nearly 400,000 customers in Pinellas County are without electricity, officials said.

"This was an unprecedented storm with extremely high winds," officials explained. "The damage to the power grid is severe, and we are asking everyone to be patient while these services are being restored."

Two fatalities were reported in St. Petersburg during Milton: one from a medical emergency and a second person found in a park, Police Chief Tony Holloway said.

-ABC News’ Jason Volack

Wind gusts climbed to 97 mph in Tampa and 102 mph at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport as Milton slammed the coast.

Milton's powerful winds ripped most of the roof off of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, and sent a crane crashing down in St. Petersburg.

Fourteen staff members inside Tropicana Field were safely relocated, City Development Administrator James Corbett said.

No injuries were reported in connection to the crane collapse, officials said.

The city of St. Petersburg plans to review and potentially revise local regulations surrounding crane safety and construction preparedness for future storms, a local official said.

The coastal community of Clearwater, Florida, near Tampa, saw flooding from Milton in areas that don't normally flood, Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector told ABC News Live.

"We’re lucky we didn’t get near the storm surge that was forecast. But we had such heavy, heavy rain and wind that it put folks … in jeopardy," he said.

Crews went door-to-door at one apartment complex to rescue stranded residents.

"We were really concerned that someone didn’t get noticed. … So far, I think we’ve been able to rescue everyone," Rector said.

The mayor is urging residents who evacuated to stay inside for their own safety and to keep roads clear for first responders.

"There’s no hurry to get back here," he said. "Your property is probably fine … but certainly it’s hazardous to get to and from wherever you’re at."

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Clearwater mayor on Hurricane Milton aftermathClearwater Mayor Bruce Rector says, “We’re lucky we didn’t get near the storm surge that was forecast.”

ABCNews.com

As the city assesses its needs, Rector said the residents of Clearwater need "prayers, more than anything, as we try to get families back into their homes who were already -- particularly on the barrier islands -- devastated by Helene."

"It’s going to be a very rough several weeks here, but I’m confident that we will pull together as a community," he said.