At least 17 confirmed tornadoes touched down in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay region in the hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast, according to the National Weather Service.

With Milton almost one week in the rearview mirror, its lessons are coming into focus. Here are four. Ahead of Hurricane Milton, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor was as blunt as she’s ever been. “If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die,” she told a CNN anchor in comments that quickly went viral.

The Gulf Coast of Florida was immensely impacted by Milton, hitting as a Category 3 hurricane 120-mph sustained winds. See damage in cities counties.