LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville native who now lives in Tampa rode out Hurricane Milton in her apartment, saying what was left behind is "devastation is beyond words."
Denise Troutman previously served as president of the Center for Women and Families in Louisville and is the widow of the late Dr. Adewale Troutman, the former head of Louisville Public Health & Wellness. For the last several years, she has called Tampa her home.
She said when the rain started, the street in front of her apartment had about 8 inches of rain, but that quickly rose.
"The wind and the rain together were just like sheets coming in of just ... pure, straight up water," Troutman said.
The storm knocked out power to more than 3 million customers and whipped up a barrage of tornadoes. It caused at least five deaths and compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit.
Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was "absolutely staggering," according to City Manager Bill McDaniel. Emergency crews rescued 35 people overnight, said McDaniel, who estimated the city received 13.5 inches (34 cm) of rain.
A Lee County Sheriff's officer patrols the streets of Cape Coral, Fla., as heavy rain falls ahead of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The sound of the wind and rain was loud, Troutman said.
"Through our hallways, you just hear the roar, like just the roar of craziness," she said.
That, combined with the anxiety of what the storm would bring, meant Wednesday into Thursday was a sleepless night.
"We heard a big bam and, come to find out, by 12:45 a.m., the electricity had gone, and it was a transformer close to my house," Troutman said. "And God only knows when we will get electricity back."
Right now, she has some items she can reheat using a camping style single burner stove. But she isn't sure when stores will reopen for her, and many like her, to access food.
On Wednesday, before the brunt of the hurricane, she met with neighbors who also stuck around. On Thursday morning, they checked in on each other to see how each was doing.
"One lady said, 'But at least we're all alive, you know?'" Troutman said. "And last night, we weren't sure what was happening, and trees were sideways, and it was just crazy."
A house lies toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
She said Milton just felt like a second gut punch after Hurricane Helene.
"It's like something you've never seen," she said.
In many parts of Florida, debris that might have been cleared from Helene was now thrown back across communities.
Troutman was emotional at the loss of life and people's property. Her thoughts Thursday reflected a gratitude for life.
"You know, life is fleeting," she said. "It's times like this that you say to yourself you just have to live life to the fullest, because you never know. When you have this amount of destruction all around you, it makes you really think about what's important."
It could be days before power is restored to Florida. Many county officials there asking people to shelter in place while crews work to clear debris.
Related Stories:
- Milton knocks out power to millions and spawns tornadoes across Florida. At least 5 dead
- Louisville natives choosing to 'ride it out' as Hurricane Milton closes in on south Florida
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