(NewsNation) — Nearly 300 emergency calls were pending Thursday morning in Sarasota County, Florida, as first responders prepared to begin search-and-rescue efforts in the hours after Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
Strong winds whipped by police headquarters and the area’s emergency center as workers fielded hundreds of calls related to the Category 3 hurricane, Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman said.
“I’ve lived here over 40 years and 30 years in law enforcement in this community,” Hoffman told NewsNation on “Morning in America.” “This is the first time I’ve seen a mass exodus during a storm like this. You could tell from our interstate being backed up and, frankly, our roads were vacant of any traffic early on before the storm.”
The county sent teams out at about 3 a.m. to check the streets. The main roadways were clear as of Thursday morning, despite some downed trees and power lines throughout the area, he said.
Hoffman spoke with NewsNation before sunrise. Once daylight comes, crews will begin door-to-door outreach and search-and-rescue efforts, he said.
“I believe probably more than any other storm I’ve been around, our residents did heed the warning, and I think that’s going to mean less loss of life in the community,” he said.
The time for cleanup between Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton was limited. Officials moved fast to clear what they could, but it’s unclear how much damage may have been caused by the significant amount of debris that collected on nearby barrier islands, Hoffman said.
“Certainly, with Helene and with (Hurricane) Debby, the folks here on this coast are just very tired of hurricanes, for sure,” he said.
