LOREN ELLIOTT | Times
Ernesto Jara, seen from inside his family's badly damaged trailer, walks through his yard in southern Collier County, Fla., on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. Irma made landfall in the area as a category 3 hurricane the prior day.
Photo gallery
What Hurricane Irma did to Florida
For days, Florida had been preparing for – and dreading – the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
The massive storm laid waste to Caribbean islands before smacking into the Florida Keys Sunday morning, then turning north toward the Gulf Coast.
But Tampa Bay awoke Monday to a pleasant surprise – the storm had pushed farther east, and delivered only a glancing blow. Still, streets flooded, trees fell and signs were blown down. Thousands here – and millions across the state – were left without power. Irma left her mark.
Click here to see how Tampa Bay prepared as Irma approached on Saturday.
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JAMES BORCHUCK | Times
Bill Bigelow of St. Petersburg looks under the root ball of a 50-foot Monkey Puzzle evergreen tree after it toppled over during Hurricane Irma and landed on his roof Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. Bigelow also had a Cedar Tree, right, land on his home on 86th Ave. North.
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EVE EDELHEIT | Times
Larry Lee plays with DJ Woods, 17 months, while waiting for Hurricane Irma to hit at the emergency shelter at John Hopkins Middle School on Sunday, September 10, 2017 in St. Petersburg.
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SKIP O'ROURKE | Times
Brent Price navigates Squirrel Run Way in Valrico in his canoe as he passes a neighbors house in his flooded community located off of Lithia Pinecrest Road. Price had evacuated his house for Irma but returned on Monday morning September 11, 2017 to check on his house and the family cats. Water had not yet made it into the house "We will have to see what happens with the storm surge" said Price as he paddled back to his truck.
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DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
A souvenir and gift shop remains flooded off Collier Avenue on Monday, September 11, 2017 in downtown Everglades City, which became inundated with water in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma's landfall.
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SCOTT KEELER | Times
Duke Energy power poles have snapped at 30th Street South and 2nd Ave. South, St. Petersburg. Area closed off by St. Petersburg Police.
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LUIS SANTANA | Times
A home on S. Davis Blvd in Davis Islands boarded up and did not appear to suffer any damage from Hurricane Irma.
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CHRIS URSO | Times
Steve Miccio, 53, secures a tree limb with a rope as he and others work to remove the tree from the roof of his Gulf Road home Tarpon Springs Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. Miccio and his family were not home at the time when the tree fell. Hurricane Irma brought heavy wind and rain as it passed Tampa Bay.
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ALESSANDRA DA PRA | Times
(From left) Mason Salustro, 12, Matthew Salustro, 15, Darryl Salustro, 49, and Myles Salustro, 14, clean up the front yard of their South Tampa home on Monday, September 11, 2017, after Hurricane Irma hit the Tampa Bay Area.
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WILL VRAGOVIC | Times
A view of the old Merriwhether Building on the 1000 block of 22nd Street South next to the Boys and Girls Club that collapsed overnight as Hurricane Irma passed through St. Petersburg, Fla. on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. Mamie Morris, 63, said she had already lost power late Sunday night and was trying to see how others were doing when she saw the south wall of the building collapse. "I'm looking out my door and I see this brick wall go right down," Morris said. "I'm watching it collapse right to the ground." The City of St. Petersburg had personnel on hand Monday afternoon to secure the area. Workers had not yet determined what caused the destruction.
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OCTAVIO JONES | Times
The old dilapidated Jackson Rooming House in Tampa is still standing after Hurricane Irma passed through as a category 1 storm through the Tampa Bay area on Monday 11, 2017.
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SCOTT KEELER | Times
Noah Dross, 11, and his sister Grace Dross, 9, look at a home at 321 Lake Shore Drive North, St. Petersburg that sustained damage when a large pine tree fell on the home during high winds from Hurricane Irma.
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DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
Mobile homes remain flooded off Collier Avenue on Monday, September 11, 2017 in downtown Everglades City, which became inundated with water in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma's landfall.
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LOREN ELLIOTT | Times
Manuel Angeles (left) carries a chainsaw for clearing debris on a flooded street following Hurricane Irma in southern Collier County, Fla., on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. At right, his nephew Francisco Angeles, 12, paddles a boat with a shovel. The family got together to work on the street, where they would soon move back in, along with neighbors. Irma made landfall in the area as a category 3 hurricane the prior day.
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MONICA HERNDON | Times
The Wish Tree at the Dali Museum was uprooted on September 11, 2017 after Hurricane Irma passed through St. Petersburg, Fla. last night.
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DIRK SHADD | Times
A tree down from the winds of Hurricane Irma narrowly misses a home on 7th Street and 8th Ave. N in the Uptown neighborhood of St. Petersburg Monday, September 11, 2017.
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CHERIE DIEZ | Times
After Hurricane Irma damaged power lines, SR 52 was closed between Land O'Lakes Blvd. and Shady Hills Rd. as workers from Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative repaired the damage in Pasco County, FL, Monday, Sept. 11,2017. Workers are shown on SR 52 near Giddens Road. SR 52 reopened at about 12:30 PM, September 11, 2017.
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EVE EDELHEIT | Times
Lakariah Lee, 6 waits to wash her hands while taking shelter at John Hopkins Middle School on Sunday, September 10, 2017 in St. Petersburg.
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LOREN ELLIOTT | Times
Querubin Jara Jr., 11, plays with his family's pet ducks in front of their badly damaged trailer in southern Collier County, Fla., on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. Irma made landfall in the area as a category 3 hurricane the prior day.
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JIM DAMASKE | Times
A section of State Road 37 south of Mulberry is flooded after the passing of Hurricane Irma Monday 9/11/2017.
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DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
Everglades City residents Marlene Sassaman, 68, left, and Ron Ouellette, 68, are stunned by flood water on Collier Avenue on Monday (9/10/17) in downtown Everglades City moments after returning to their city, which became inundated with water in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma's landfall on Sunday (9/11/17).
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Produced by Lauren Flannery.