The iconic Tampa Bay Times building suffered catastrophic damage as "smoke billowed out" after a crane crashed into it during Hurricane Milton . Langston Taylor, a data editor at the newspaper, revealed that staff were working through the night covering the hurricane when the massive crane fell into their office. He tweeted: " Tampa Bay Times staff working through the night covering Hurricane Milton from all our safe houses are now facing the fact that, uh, that big ole crane in Downtown St.
Pete fell into our office building." The crane was part of a 515-foot-tall luxury high-rise building under construction, touted as one of the tallest buildings on Florida's west coast, with completion expected in summer 2025. Staff member Ian Hodgson reported that the crane had destroyed the "top five stories.
" READ MORE - Ireland weather: Hurricane Milton is NOT coming to Ireland, weather expert insists READ MORE - Hurricane Milton: 'Insane' satellite video shows lightning strike Florida hundreds of times Writing on X, he said: "The crane that toppled onto the Tampa Bay Times office appears to have taken out most of the top five stories. This is by far the worst damage we've seen so far." Reporter Max Chesnes was left "speechless" after the crane blocked the entrance to the building and the road, reports the Mirror .
He wrote: "Speechless. We are at the entrance to our Tampa Bay Times office in downtown St. Petersburg.
A crane is blocking the road, and several stories up, smoke billows o.
