Florida residents were continuing to repair the damage from Hurricane Milton and figure out what to do next Friday after the storm smashed through coastal communities and tore homes to pieces, flooded streets and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. A flood of vehicles headed south Thursday evening on Interstate 75, the main highway that runs through the middle of the state, as relief workers and evacuated residents headed toward the aftermath. At times, some cars even drove on the left shoulder of the road. Bucket trucks and fuel tankers streamed by, along with portable bathroom trailers and a convoy of emergency vehicles. Milton prevented James Basta, his wife and their children from returning to Sarasota as planned Wednesday evening, so they enjoyed an extra two days of their two-week vacation on a bustling International Drive in Orlando’s tourism district on Thursday. Hurricanes seem to follow them since 2022's Hurricane Ian kept them from returning to there home after another Orlando vacation. “Two extra days here, there are worse places we could be," he said. Jamie andereson and her husband, Tim, were just feeling lucky to be alive. Hurricane Milton peeled the tin roof off of their cinderblock home in their neighborhood a few blocks north of center city Sarasota. She pushed him to leave as the storm barreled toward them Wednesday night after he resisted evacuating their three-bedroom house where he grew up and where the couple lived with their three kids and two grandchildren. She believes the decision saved their lives. They returned to find the roof of their home scattered in sheets across the street, the wooden beams of what was their ceiling exposed to the sky. Inside, fiberglass insulation hung down in shreds, their belongings soaked by the rain and littered with chunks of shattered drywall.

With Florida facing the direct path of Hurricane Milton, a powerful Category 4 storm expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area, Tarps Plus is ready to help. Communities across Florida are bracing for the second major hurricane in just weeks, following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. Now, with Milton’s life-threatening storm surge and winds projected to cause catastrophic damage, Tarps Plus is fully stocked with hurricane tarps to aid in recovery. Hurricane Helene, which slammed into Florida less than two weeks ago, left behind a trail of destruction in its wake. From flooding to roof damage, many communities are still in recovery mode. Hurricane Milton, now intensifying with sustained winds of up to 160 mph and storm surges predicted to reach as high as 12-15 feet in some areas, adds even greater urgency for residents to protect their homes and businesses. Tarps Plus is ramping up efforts, offering same-day shipping and immediate support to meet the overwhelming demand for tarps as Florida prepares for yet another major storm. Decades of Hurricane Relief Known as “Hurricane Mike” within the industry, Michael Stein, CEO of Tarps Plus, earned this nickname for the pivotal role he played in providing tarps during past hurricane seasons. “Our mission has always been to be there for communities when they need us most,” says Michael Stein. “We’ve increased our inventory of high-grade tarps to ensure fast delivery to those in need across Florida and beyond.”

It felt like an echo of the first couple of days following Tropical Storm Helene. The difference: Sand dunes no longer covered Gulf Drive. Only a handful of people could be seen around town inspecting their properties, most previously damaged from the historic 5–7-foot storm surge brought by Helene. For those who did return, many were hopeful that the damage was minimal compared to the destruction of the previous storm. Though wary, those who spoke with us Friday tried to look at the positives and focus on the next steps of rebuilding. Gov. Ron DeSantis made a quick stop in Bradenton Beach, touring the island ahead of a press conference. DeSantis said that the area is a priority for Florida Power and Light which pre-staged 50,000 linemen ahead of the storm and has already returned power to 1.7 million customers. The governor also addressed concerns with debris clean-up, noting that it usually takes some time to clean up following a storm. However, before Milton, the Florida Department of Transportation paused its road projects and initiated a 72-hour debris clean-up ahead of the storm, DeSantis said. In total, approximately 50,000 cubic yards of debris were removed on barrier islands in Manatee and Pinellas counties, according to DeSantis.

Sarasota, city in the eye of the storm, emerges mostly unscathed Residents said they were surprised to find that the damage from Hurricane Milton wasn’t as bad as they had expected. The sun was shining again Thursday in the city that had been directly in the path of Hurricane Milton, and when survivors emerged from their hiding places, many were pleasantly surprised to find the damage wasn’t as bad as they had feared. Most restaurants and grocery stores in Sarasota were shuttered, a few wrecked cars and trucks were strewn about like toys, some traffic lights were working while others were completely gone and dozens of palm trees were snapped like twigs or reduced to splinters. Famous cultural destinations like the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the Sarasota Opera House remained closed, and so were many of the roads leading into this city of 55,000 — not that there was much traffic. Despite being on the water and susceptible to flooding, downtown Sarasota and the rest of town appeared to have mostly escaped the storm surges that inundated cities to the south, like Venice, South Venice, Englewood and Manasota Key.

It was the second major hurricane in two weeks to hammer Florida’s Gulf Coast—the first, Helene, caused devastation all the way to western North Carolina and killed more than 230 people. The double whammy will change some communities forever and has kindled new conversations about climate change amid a contentious presidential election. Milton killed at least nine people, according to CNN. Several fatalities were reported amid a rare flurry of large, powerful tornadoes that preceded Milton’s landfall on the Gulf Coast and touched down as far away as the eastern seaboard of St. Lucie County north of Palm Beach. More than 3 million electric customers were without power Thursday afternoon.

Following Hurricane Milton, the City of Venice has activated its emergency contract with commercial debris hauler Crowder Gulf. This debris hauler has already mobilized six crews throughout the City, clearing roadways and staging for debris removal. Please be mindful of these teams as they work to make areas accessible and safe for the public. Residential vegetative and construction debris collection will be the next phase, and the City will announce when these efforts are underway. You may begin preparing your debris now by separating white goods from construction and demolition, and vegetative debris. ⬇️ SEE BELOW GRAPHIC At this time, FEMA has authorized the pickup of storm debris on public residential streets ONLY. The City is planning to request approval from FEMA to collect debris from manufactured home communities and mobile home parks, condominiums, and private streets. The City will announce if and when this approval is granted. Remember to use caution when operating chainsaws or other equipment and to stay hydrated. Debris collection always takes some time and multiple collection passes will be made as we work to clean up the impacts from Hurricane Milton.