WATCH: Traffic light yanked off line by Hurricane Ian, crashes in front of cops
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An Tampa traffic light did not survive the harsh winds of Hurricane Ian, according to police.
In an attempt to warn residents, the Tampa Police Department posted a video showing a traffic light falling off its line due to the heavy winds brought by Hurricane Ian.
Ian: Strong winds, heavy rains, storm surge still expected
The video showed the light swing for a bit before it crashed to the ground in front of police officers. The officers then took the broken traffic light off the road.
“There are live wires down,” the department wrote. “This is 𝙉𝙊𝙏 the time to venture out.”
While Tampa saw lesser effects from Hurricane Ian, the city did not escape being damaged.
Downed power lines caused several fires, according to the Tampa Fire Rescue chief, and police said they saw downed trees and lines across the city.
Tampa city officials urged residents to shelter in place as they expected worse storm conditions through Wednesday night.
Early Thursday morning, the National Weather Service downgraded Hurricane Ian to a tropical storm after its maximum sustained windspeeds fell to 65 mph.
The storm made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, just after 3 p.m. Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds measured at 150 mph. By 2 a.m. Thursday, it had weakened to a category 1 with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
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