Pinellas County officials urge residents to stay off roadways while hurricane damage is assessed

Hurricane Milton Barrels Into Florida ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 10: A crane sits on the street after crashing down into the building housing the Tampa Bay Times offices after the arrival of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Milton, which comes just after the recent catastrophic Hurricane Helene, landed into Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm causing extensive flooding and damage. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Pinellas County officials are urging residents to stay in their homes or shelters as emergency responders assess damages following Hurricane Milton.

Crews began clearing roadways for search and rescue missions early Wednesday morning.

Many roads remain hazardous due to flooding, downed power lines, fallen trees, and traffic signal outages.

While most of the county is without power, St. Petersburg, Gulfport, and Lealman are without water.