SIESTA KEY, Fla. − Millions are without power, the roof of the local baseball stadium has been torn off, and the renowned Salvador Dali Museum remains shuttered—all consequences of Hurricane Milton. Yet, despite the chaos, James and Jessica Dupont are determined to enjoy a day at the beach with their four kids.
With the sun shining brightly in the blue sky just a day after landfall, James sunk his toes into the soft, white sand while observing his little ones frolicking nearby. He noted that their house had been largely unscathed, but the sweltering heat made staying indoors unbearable.
“It’s nicer out here,” he remarked, as the waves rolled in rhythmically and seagulls squawked above, creating a serene backdrop amidst the storm’s aftermath.
Their outing to the beach highlights a glimmer of hope for Sarasota County following the storm: many of the area’s 35 miles of pristine coastline, which attracts around 6.5 million visitors from across the U.S., may have weathered Hurricane Milton better than expected.
“Initial observations indicate that public beach parks, including Siesta Beach, seem to have avoided substantial damage,” said county spokesperson Genevieve Judge in an interview with USA TODAY. However, she cautioned that Sarasota County is “still in the process of evaluating our local beaches for direct damage and impact.”
More than 3 million people were left without power after Hurricane Milton slammed into the region as a Category 3 storm on Thursday. While there are still many remnants to clean up—like the roof debris from Tropicana Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays—residents can take comfort in knowing that some of Florida’s most cherished attractions have emerged relatively unscathed.
Two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene left several beaches “substantially impacted,” including North Jetty Park, Turtle Beach Park, and Caspersen Park, according to Judge.
The storm wreaked havoc across Florida, causing flooding on roads, uprooting trees, and damaging structures. On hard-hit Siesta Key, where Helene made landfall, many homes and buildings suffered serious damage, and some residents had only just completed their clean-up efforts from that storm when Milton struck the island.
Sarasota County Chief of Emergency Management Sandra Tapfumaneyi stated that teams are still evaluating the damage and catching up on responding to 911 calls that were made Wednesday night during the storm’s peak.
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