A monument on Anna Maria Island that was hanging by a thread after Hurricane Helene in September is now gone after Milton crashed into Siesta Key Wednesday evening.
Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm with 125 mph winds near Sarasota, destroyed the Rod and Reel Pier, a seafood restaurant that opened in 1947 on the north side of the island, according to social media posts from officials.
Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse and the city of Anna Maria posted on their Facebook pages that the landmark restaurant — known for its “little bit of old Florida” charm — had been destroyed.
“What was left of the Rod & Reel Pier and its restaurant after Helene gave in with the wave,” Kruse wrote on Facebook.
Kruse showed a split view of the Rod and Reel Pier after Helene’s damage and after Milton’s destruction, while the city of Anna Maria opened the restaurant at 875 North Shore Dr. mentioned in an update on Thursday morning.
“The Rod & Reel pier appears to be completely destroyed,” the update said. “Streets are full of electricity cables and some electricity poles are broken, with as little dirt as possible on the roads.”
The City of Anna Maria also said City Hall had no structural damage, although the city pier lost 50 meters of walkway.
Kruse’s split-screen photo of the destruction of the Rod and Reel Pier shows the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the distance.
