Florida's barrier islands are battered by Hurricane Milton
Hours after hurricane Milton slammed Florida's barrier islands, residents and business owners were allowed to return to survey the damage.
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Christal Shola was one of dozens of people in a long stream of cars waiting to re-enter Fort Myers Beach on Thursday a few hours after Hurricane Milton slammed into the town.
She intended to retire in the home on Estero Island, a barrier island on Florida's Gulf Coast, but it was still under construction after Hurricane Ian ravaged it.
On Thursday, Shola returned to find shingles ripped from the roof, but most of the construction supplies stored on the first floor were spared despite some flooding and sand damage.
A person walks through surge waters after Hurricane Milton made landfall in the Sarasota area in Fort Myers on Wednesday.Joe Raedle / Getty Images“It’s heart-wrenching to have to keep going through this,” she said. “We have terrific 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 have hit the barrier islands in just two years. Residents say that despite the constant threat, rebuilding is worth it.
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