Hurricane Milton Poses Significant Risk To Tampa And Sarasota Homes

Contents of homes are piled on the side of the road after flooding from Hurricane Helene on Davis Island Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

An analytics firm, CoreLogic, has issued a concerning report regarding the potential impact of Hurricane Milton on the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. According to their estimates, as many as 500,000 homes in these regions are at risk of storm surge flooding if the hurricane makes landfall as a Category 3 storm. The combined reconstruction value of these homes is estimated to be $123 billion.

Estimated reconstruction value of at-risk homes in these regions is $123 billion.

CoreLogic report highlights 500,000 homes at risk in Tampa and Sarasota metro areas.

If Hurricane Milton intensifies to Category 4, over 700,000 homes could be at risk.

If Hurricane Milton intensifies and makes landfall as a Category 4 storm, the number of homes at risk increases to just over 700,000, with a combined reconstruction value of $174 billion. The director of catastrophe response at CoreLogic, Jon Schneyer, emphasized the sensitivity of the storm's financial impact to even small changes in its landfall location.

The potential damage caused by Hurricane Milton is expected to be substantial, with projections indicating that it could become one of the most expensive storms in US history, likely resulting in tens of billions of dollars in damages.