CHARLOTTE HARBOR, Fla. — A few days ago, Rick Conflitti and his girlfriend were discussing whether they needed to evacuate their home ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
It was an important discussion to have — their home is made of wood, and it’s close to the Peace River.
“You can’t risk it,” Conflitti told NPR.
Their decision to leave is likely to have saved their lives.
Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near Siesta Key, about 48 miles northwest of Charlotte Harbor. It landed as a Category 3 hurricane, and its effect was heavily felt in the cities south of Siesta Key.
The wind — and the dangerous storm surge — destroyed most of the front wall of Conflitti’s property. One of his cars — an orange sports car — seemed to have been carried by the water and smashed against the house.
(The National Hurricane Center said Thursday that a preliminary analysis of the storm surge showed peak water levels reached 5 to 10 feet above ground level between Siesta Key and Fort Myers Beach, including Charlotte Harbor.)
“It’s shocking. … I didn’t expect it,” Rick Conflitti said as he surveyed the damage to his home in Charlotte Harbor, Fla.
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán/NPR
Inside the house, water and sand covered the floors.
His brand-new washer and dryer had shifted.
His couch was flipped and soaking wet. Everything that hung on the walls was on the floor.
And a trailer was inside his home.
“It’s shocking,” Conflitti said when he returned to his home of 12 years. “I didn’t expect it. Of all the hurricanes we’ve had, it’s never been this bad.”
He said he’ll rebuild the home.
“Little by little,” he repeated, over and over.
Hurricane Milton pushed vessels out of the water and destroyed docks at the Sarasota marina.
Jaclyn Diaz/NPR
Millions of Floridians just like Conflitti took Thursday to survey the damage of their homes and businesses. The storm’s strong winds knocked out power throughout large swaths of coastal and central Florida, leaving about 3 million customers without electricity as of late Thursday afternoon. More than 100 tornado warnings were issued and four people were killed by tornadoes in St. Lucie County, on the state’s eastern coast.
Elsewhere, like in Sarasota, many woke up thankful and relieved to find Milton’s impact wasn’t as disastrous as had been feared thanks to the storm’s weakening prior to making landfall. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who shared that sentiment, cautioned Thursday that, as recovery efforts and damage assessments continue for some time, things will not return to normal immediately.
Throughout Sarasota, trees and other debris littered streets and sidewalks and many of the city’s street lights weren’t working. By mid-morning the roads were busy with residents eager to return home to survey the damage.
Neighborhoods in the city further inland were filled with sounds of power saws as people chopped up fallen trees in their yards.
An entire dock lifted up and out of the water by Hurricane Milton is shown here Thursday morning at the Sarasota marina.
Jaclyn Diaz/NPR
And along Sarasota’s marina, dozens of people walked along the piers, gazing at many boats still tethered to the pier and marveling at how the vessels avoided major damage.
Marilyn Keemer said she and her husband’s home in Lakewood Ranch lost power, but they experienced none of the threatened storm surges or flooding from Milton.
“I think we’re a little fortunate this time,” she said.
She and her husband, Brian, talked to NPR as they walked in Bayfront Park where a boat called the Indigo teetered half in the water after being pushed from its moorings by Milton’s strong winds overnight.
Further down from the Indigo, an entire dock and another boat had been thrown out of the water and onto the park’s sidewalk. Crowds of people took photos and videos of the marooned vessels, shocked at how strong winds could move even the largest boats out of the water.
“This is a first-class marina, but it just goes to show you the strength of a hurricane,” said John Ahern, who was walking along the docks with his dog Abby. “I think we got lucky quite honestly.”
Local resources
Member stations across the NPR Network in Florida are covering the local impact of Hurricane Milton.
➡️ Tampa Bay [via WUSF] | Text-only site | Radio: 89.7 FM
➡️ Tampa [via WMNF] | Radio: 88.5 FM
➡️ Orlando [via Central Florida Public Media] | Text-only site | Radio: 90.7 & 89.5 FM
➡️ Fort Myers via [WGCU] | Radio: 90.1 & 91.7 FM
➡️ Miami [via WLRN] | Radio: 91.3 FM
➡️ Gainesville [via WUFT] | Text-only site | Radio: 89.1 & 90.1 FM
➡️ Jacksonville [via WJCT] | Radio: 89.9 FM
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán reported from Charlotte Harbor, Fla., and Jaclyn Diaz reported from Sarasota, Fla.
