FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. – Christal Shola was one of dozens of people in a long stream of cars waiting to reenter Fort Myers Beach on Thursday, just hours after Hurricane Milton hit the city.
She had planned to retire to the house on Estero Island, a barrier island on Florida’s Gulf Coast, but it was still under construction after Hurricane Ian destroyed it.
On Thursday, Shola returned to find shingles torn from the roof, but most building materials stored on the first floor were spared despite some flooding and sand damage.
“It’s heartbreaking to have to keep going through this,” she said. “We have great neighbors, we all help each other, and the fact that we all love it here so much, we just keep doing it.”
Milton is the fifth hurricane to hit the barrier islands in just two years. Residents say despite the ongoing threat, rebuilding is worth it.
“These things hit you in the gut, but you just pick yourself up,” said Mayor Dan Allers, adding that some residents have rebuilt their homes four times in recent years.
Milton spread destruction across Florida overnight, spawning tornadoes in areas unaccustomed to such ferocity and cutting power to more than 3.3 million utility customers.
The storm killed at least twelve people and put eleven million people at risk of flooding.
Local and federal officials have praised residents for taking evacuation warnings seriously and leaving high-risk communities, including barrier islands, behind long before the storm hit.
“I just want to thank the residents of the barrier islands for listening to us this time,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. “I went there last night before the storm hit, and as they would say, it’s a ghost town out there, and that’s exactly what we wanted to see.”
Bridges to the barrier islands reopened earlier Thursday, but county officials said many homes and businesses have no power or water, and some roads have not yet been cleared of debris and other hazards.
Other barrier islands remain inaccessible or have limited services for residents.
In Sanibel, residents with identification cards and business owners with permits were able to return during the day, but city officials warned that a boil water notice and curfew were in effect. The sewage system was not online and residents were advised not to flush their toilets.
In Bradenton Beach, homes were left in tatters and in pieces after the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Devices were scattered on the street and a window frame was on its side. Some of the damage was left over from Helene, but new destruction was visible all over Sanibel Island, including a house that had been torn off its foundation a block down the street.
“It’s going to be a long road for everyone,” said Mayor John Chappie, a seventh-generation Bradenton Beach resident. “We’re going to get to work and we’re going to clean things up and be the great community that we are.”
Sam Brock reported from Fort Myers Beach and Alicia Victoria Lozano from Los Angeles.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
