Hurricane Milton forces St. Petersburg crane collapse, leaving a ‘gaping hole’ in building

Powerful winds from Hurricane Milton have forced a construction crane to collapse in downtown St. Petersburg, leaving what is described as a “gaping hole” in an office building. 

The crane tumbled overnight from 400 Central Avenue, according to Fox13 Tampa Bay. The 515-foot-tall luxury condominium high-rise will be “one of the tallest residential buildings on the west coast of Florida” upon its completion in summer 2025, its website says. 

There were no reports of injuries from the collapse, but the Tampa Bay Times says the crane left a “gaping hole” in an office building that houses its headquarters, which had been evacuated in advance of Hurricane Milton’s arrival on Wednesday. 

A video taken at the scene showed one part of the crane resting against the office building while another part blocked off a street. 

HURRICANE MILTON MAKES LANDFALL, SLAMMING INTO FLORIDA WITH DESTRUCTIVE WINDS, CATASTROPHIC STORM SURGE 

Debris is strewn on a street following the collapse of a crane during heavy rainfall and strong winds caused by Hurricane Milton, in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Mike’s Weather Page/Reuters)

Prior to the collapse, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch expressed concerns about the cranes and how they would fare during Milton, Fox13 Tampa Bay reports. 

ROOF OF TROPICANA FIELD RIPPED OPEN BY HURRICANE MILTON 

A crane collapsed overnight in St. Petersburg during Hurricane Milton. There were no reports of injuries. (Mike’s Weather Page/Reuters)

The website says the mayor noted how it takes about a week of planning to remove and disassemble the cranes because of their fixed location. 

Max Watts, of Buford, Ga., walks in the parking lot to check on a trailer parked outside the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton with coworkers on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP/Julio Cortez)

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The hurricane also ripped the roof off Tropicana Field – the home of the MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays – and dumped 18 inches of rain on the city Wednesday.