That is sad! The Weather Underground posted an even colder temperature for Port Charlotte which is well south of your area. It reached about 26 there! Many years ago, a much more severe cold wave hit the eastern U.S. (I think it was in the 1970's.) I remember that one morning it was 11 in new York City, and 9 degrees in Jacksonville!) Then there was 1989, Christmas morning. It fell to minus 1 in Wilmington, North Carolina with 14 inches of powdery snow. That cold snap killed large Sabal palmetto trees, and Jelly Palms in the area. Strangely, that winter, while severe in November and December, turned almost spring-like by New Year's Day when the pattern flipped!
At least your Royals made it!
Most of my palms here in New Jersey are fine, and all but one are virtually unprotected in my z7/8 climate.

Yep. I live near Enterprise AL, a little over 20 miles from Florida. According to the weather channel historical averages, it got down to -1 degree in 1985. That, of course, was the all-time record. I guess unless you really do live in the tropics, you just have to deal with REALLY cold stuff sometimes, even if only "once in a blue moon." Unfortunately once is all it takes.

I live in Wesley Chapel about 25 miles north of Tampa. Only the large palms made it here. Everyone's small queens, pygmy dates, grass, crotons, all non hardy shrubs are dead. The yards in my area are beige. We had upper 20s two nights. I hope the coldest weather has past. I am getting impatient.

Got down to 30 f here in west Orlando metro. I wrapped my large coco so it's fine except for some unexpected frost damage earlier. Still I see many damaged cocos bottles foxtails and kings. Still the royals and christmas around town look fantastic!! Been a bad winter none the less .

Very sorry to hear about the older specimens. It realy sucks to put somthing in the ground you think you can grow
then something like this happens !

This is just nature's way of cleansing the weak species. It is foolish to try species like this when everybody knows FL is a ticking time bomb of frost.

Ok...so on that same note why plant anything in California cause of wildfires or the Florida keys with the hurricanes or even hawaii with volcanoes?? Those are all risk they encounter there that can destroy plants on a lArge scale.