**Deputies Help Pregnant Woman Reach Hospital During Hurricane Milton**

During the chaos of Hurricane Milton, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd highlighted the heroic efforts of his deputies who helped a pregnant woman reach the hospital amid the severe conditions gripping Central Florida.

In an online post, Sheriff Judd recounted how deputies sprang into action following a 911 call about a woman in labor. The hurricane's high winds had immobilized ambulances, but deputies stepped in to assist the stranded family. Deputies Calderin, Jones, and Goolsby responded to the call, finding Zenia and Javier, the expecting couple, and facilitated their journey to the hospital by using patrol cars.

Sheriff Judd shared that Deputy Calderin transported Zenia and Javier to the hospital in her patrol car, while Deputies Jones and Goolsby ensured one of their relatives also reached the medical facility. A heartwarming photograph accompanied the sheriff's post, showing the deputies alongside Zenia and her newborn, Jade. The sheriff later mentioned that the officers returned to the hospital to check on the family's well-being.

As the response to immediate emergencies waned, Polk County Director of Emergency Management Paul Womble announced that crews were shifting their focus to damage assessment and cleanup operations. Womble emphasized the shift from life-saving missions to efforts aimed at restoring normalcy by clearing roads and gathering debris.

The devastating impact of Hurricane Milton was evident, with more than 2.3 million Floridians still without power as of Friday morning. The storm, which battered the region as a Category 3 hurricane, tragically resulted in at least 16 deaths, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis projecting the death toll to rise.