BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The start of “snowbird” season in Florida is only weeks away, but many Florida Gulf Coast beaches, regularly voted some of the best in the United States, are closed to the public because of the devastation from Hurricane Milton two weeks ago. Most restaurants and shops in the tony St.
Armands Circle district of Sarasota were flooded with water from Milton and Hurricane Helene, which tore through Florida almost two weeks ahead of Milton. The dominant performing arts hall in Sarasota is closed until January because of extensive damage. Mounds of debris are scattered along Gulf Coast roads.
Hurricane Milton’s devastating toll along Florida’s Gulf Coast hit one of the most popular areas for snowbirds — temporary residents who spend winter months in the Sunshine State — right before the start of the season which generally runs from after Halloween to around Easter. Milton landed on a barrier island in Sarasota County as a Category 3 hurricane. The storm , pushed water inland and caused tens of billions of dollars in up and down the Gulf Coast.
Visitors need to stay away for the time being so they don’t interfere with the work of residents and recovery workers, said Larry West, a construction contractor who has been pulling long hours digging out 4-feet (1.2-meter) drifts of storm-driven sand at a condo complex on Manasota Key, about 32 miles (19.8 kilometers) south of Sarasota.
“Give this area time. Don’t come here,” West said. �.