Florida Residents Rebuild After Hurricane Milton’s Devastation

After Hurricane Milton’s recent passage, many Florida residents are facing the grim reality of returning to their flooded streets and homes that have been reduced to debris. In Grove City, Vickie Ward described her return to the neighborhood, where remnants from Hurricane Helene mixed with the devastation left by Milton. “We have stuff in our yard that doesn’t even belong to us,” Ward lamented, highlighting the storm’s chaotic aftermath.

The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed, especially in regions hardest hit, such as St. Petersburg. Local storm chaser Brandon Clement remarked on the heartbreaking sight of residents standing where their homes once stood, now only a pile of rubble. Milton, which struck as a Category 3 hurricane, has claimed at least 17 lives and damaged hundreds of homes throughout Florida.

For many, the journey to recovery has just begun. Angie Dooley and her father are facing the immediate challenge of finding shelter after their Daytona Beach apartment was flooded. With their furniture and cherished belongings lost, they now sleep in their car, taking it day by day. Similarly, Rina Tabak witnessed the destruction of two homes in her family. “I just want a place that’s safe to settle in again,” she said, reflecting a common sentiment among those impacted.

As some residents struggle to assess the damage, others, like Ralph Genito, face rising floodwaters and know that the battle for recovery in the wake of Hurricane Milton will be long.