Police rescue 15 people from Tampa home after Milton knocks tree on house

TAMPA ( WFLA /NEXSTAR) – Police rescued 15 people from a single home in Tampa after a tree fell on the house amid Hurricane Milton’s powerful winds.

Officers with the Tampa Police Department were sheltering a few miles when they were alerted to the incident via a 911 call.

Police responded “as soon as there was a break in the storm bands” to find the 15 people, including several children, in need of transport to a shelter, according to the Tampa Police Department.

In footage of the rescue, officers can be seen assisting an elderly woman and reassuring the children as they were escorted into the police vehicles.

One officer also turned off power to the home before departing for a shelter.

“Every member of this department is committed to the safety of our community,” Chief Lee Bercaw said of the response. “The swift actions taken by these officers during a break in the storm bands provided this family with a sense of safety in a time of fear and uncertainty.”

All 15 people arrived at the shelter safely, according to police.

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