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WATCH: Bradenton Police rescue family, pets after tree falls on home during Hurricane Milton

By Emilee Speck
Published  October 15, 2024 12:27pm EDT
Hurricane Milton
FOX Weather

BPD rescues family during Hurricane Milton

After a tree came crashing through a Bradenton home during Hurricane Milton, the Bradenton Police SWAT and Crime Reduction Team officers rescued the family who was trapped inside.

BRADENTON, Fla. - First responders completed hundreds of rescues throughout Hurricane Milton's lashing winds and rains across Florida, including one family who was trapped inside their home when a massive tree came crashing through the living room.

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm with 125-mph winds on Oct. 9, causing widespread damage in the Tampa Bay-Sarasota area, as the storm’s powerful winds downed trees and power lines. Bradenton, north of Sarasota, was among the communities that suffered flooding and wind damage.

READ: How Florida is utilizing the National Guard in response to Hurricane Milton

Bradenton Police shared the video above showing a home with major structural damage after a large tree crashed through the heart of the house.

A large tree crashed through a family home in Bradenton, Florida, during Hurricane Milton's landfall on Oct. 9, 2024. (Bradenton Police Department)

A large tree crashed through a family home in Bradenton, Florida, during Hurricane Milton's landfall on Oct. 9, 2024. (Bradenton Police Department)

The family called 911 around the time of Milton's nighttime landfall, but because of high winds, first responders had to wait to rescue the family.

"Once vehicles could get on the road, BPD's SWAT and Crime Reduction Teams responded and evacuated the family," police said.

The video shows police with chainsaws prepared to free the family.

All four family members and two dogs were taken to a local shelter, according to police.

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