"Please be patient and courteous as you wait in lines for fuel," a lawmaker told Floridians in hard-hit communities. "Travel only if absolutely necessary."

Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane on Florida's west coast near Siesta Key.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Two people died in St. Petersburg after Hurricane Milton swept through the city, Police Chief Anthony Holloway said Thursday morning.

As Florida begins cleaning up what destructive Hurricane Milton left behind, Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a briefing about the state’s recovery efforts.

Hurricane Milton knocked over a towering construction crane in St. Petersburg on Wednesday night, sending the crane collapsing into an office building. The crane was part of the construction of a condo building that’s set to become the tallest structure on Florida’s Gulf Coast once it’s complete, according to city officials.