While Tampa Bay was spared the worst of Hurricane Milton’s wrath, wind and rain lashed the region causing widespread damage.

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service regional office in Ruskin had been awake all night. Thursday morning they were counting Milton’s new records.

According to Austen Flannery, a meteorologist with the Tampa Bay office, hurricane-force winds extended across the Tampa Bay area, with the highest gust at 105 mph at Egmont Channel.

Gusty winds elsewhere were not far behind:

• Skyway Fishing Pier: 163 km/h
• Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport: 100 mph
• Albert Whitted Airport: 163 km/h
• Tampa International Airport: 97 mph

According to Flannery, it is still too early to say exactly how far and wide Milton’s wind field created these damaging winds.

“It still came out as a Category 1 hurricane, so there were at least hurricane-force winds that occurred across the state,” he said.

Because Milton made landfall south of Tampa Bay and blew water out of the bay, storm surge readings there were negative, Flannery said. The highest wave was measured at 7 feet, just south of Sarasota.

Milton also delivered record-breaking rainfall. Albert Whitted measured a record amount of rain per day from Milton: a total of 18.75 inches over two days.

15.6 inches were recorded in Temple Terrace. Zephyrhills, Holiday and Clearwater Beach saw more than 14 inches.

“For perspective, it was at least a 1 in 500 year, if not 1 in 1,000, rainfall event,” Flannery said.

He echoed warnings from other officials asking people to stay off the roads Thursday as crews worked to clean up damage and restore power.

“Hazards still remain even though the storm has passed,” Flannery said.