Polk County families grapple with damage, flooding from Milton

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — In Polk County, families are dealing with damage from Hurricane Milton’s heavy rain.

The county’s emergency director Paul Womble says the area saw significant flooding and hurricane force winds.

In Lakeland, the foundation of a home appears to have been washed away by water. Owner Gordon Akerson says he was inside when he was inside the house during the storm.

“I just hear a noise around three or four and went back to bed,” Akerson said. “Then, when I came out at like five and looked at the garage, well, you could see the concrete wall was gone.”

The storm caused devastating destruction in areas throughout the county. Wind knocked down trees, power lines and utility poles. Rain flooded homes and streets.

According to Womble, as of Thursday, 45% of the county was without power. Leaders with Lakeland Electric say as many as 85,000 customers lost service. Additionally, 60% of the city’s 176 traffic signals were inoperable.

As families clean up, emergency officials say yard waste and home debris should be separated and put in piles on the curb. They’ve set up a debris hotline to answer questions, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at 1-833-843-1920

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.