Footage reveals that strong winds from Hurricane Milton caused a gaping hole, roughly half the size of a standard basketball court, in the roof of an airport on Florida’s east coast late Wednesday.

The hurricane made landfall near Siesta Key on the state’s west coast as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching 120 mph, as stated by the National Hurricane Center.

Earlier that morning, as Milton moved eastward, it inflicted damage at the Melbourne Orlando International Airport, where a 30-by-40 foot hole appeared in the roof, according to Greg Donovan, the airport’s executive director, who spoke with Florida Today, part of the YSL News Network.

The airport is located approximately 25 miles south of Cape Canaveral in Brevard County.

Pieces of Ceiling Fell in the Terminal

“A major part of our skylight, referred to as a caul wall, fell in the terminal’s center,” Donovan explained, adding that the silver lining was that “it has been quite dry since that initial impact, resulting in minimal water damage.”

The fallen debris landed in the middle of the terminal, which was not open to the public at that time.

Airport Closed During Roof Damage from Milton

The airport was closed at the time of the incident, and there were no reported injuries.

“We are thankful for our team and their efficient response to this emergency,” Donovan expressed. “It could have been much worse.”

Donovan mentioned that efforts to repair the roof and mitigate water damage were being organized.

Airport staff had already observed that the roof section was compromised and cordoned off the area prior to the incident.

Donovan estimated that repair costs would reach “the high tens of thousands” of dollars.

“We need the weather to settle a bit to begin those repairs,” Donovan stated.

On Thursday, he announced plans for the airport to reopen on Friday.

The Impact of Hurricane Milton in Florida

By Thursday afternoon, at least seven fatalities had been reported as a consequence of Hurricane Milton, which resulted in flooding and destruction in numerous neighborhoods and businesses statewide. Two deaths occurred in St. Petersburg, one in Volusia County, and four fatalities were documented in St. Lucie County along the east coast due to tornado activity.

Additionally, millions of residents are still facing power outages.

This article has been updated with the latest information.