TAMPA, Fla. — Police rescued 15 people, including multiple children, after a tree fell on their home during Hurricane Milton.
The Tampa Police Department said they received a 911 call from a single-story home in the 1700 block of East Wood Street.
Officers, who were taking shelter less than two miles away, responded to the home when there was a break in the storm bands.
When they arrived, they got all the occupants out of the home safely and transported them to the closest shelter. They also ensured the main power to the home was off before leaving.
"Every member of this department is committed to the safety of our community," said Chief Lee Bercaw. "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."
A Hardee County grandmother is on trial this week for leaving her 7-month-old granddaughter in a hot car where the baby died —the second grandchild to die under Tracey Nix's care. ABC Action News I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern sat down with Kaila Nix just days ahead of her mother's trial for aggravated manslaughter.