As soon as the wind and rain of Hurricane Milton passed Tampa Bay, work crews headed to schools to tackle ripped-up roofs, flooded floors and other damages caused by the storm. Their goal: To get campuses ready for students to resume classes as soon as possible.

Families across the Tampa Bay area are feeling the effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and many who cannot return home because of flooding or other damage are looking for housing assistance and resources.

The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton directly struck Tampa Bay was 1921 when the city was a sleepy backwater.

As the booming region faces the possibility of a direct hit from a major hurricane, the risks from storm surge are severe.

Fearful Florida residents streamed out of the Tampa Bay region Tuesday ahead of what could be a once-in-a-century direct hit from Hurricane Milton, as crews worked furiously to prevent furniture, appliances and other waterlogged wreckage from the last big storm from becoming deadly projectiles in this one.

The entire Tampa Bay area is under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. on Wednesday as bands from Hurricane Milton sweep through the area throughout the day ahead of anticipated landfall Wednesday night. The watch applies to Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties, as well as several counties south of the Tampa Bay region.

Buck Rollings’ phone has rung nonstop after Hurricane Milton carved through Tampa Bay, bending and breaking trees across the region. In the days since, Rollings, a certified arborist, and his crew have worked upward of 16-hour days,

First, Hurricane Helene's storm surge totaled Samantha Cipriani's Toyota Corolla and wrecked the homes of her employees. Then, Hurricane Milton flooded the St. Petersburg warehouse where she keeps wax,