Robert Ray reports from Bradenton Beach, Florida, where the beach has reopened even as residents still work to recover from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — Amid the lingering scenes of destruction and devastation, a small sign of normalcy returns along some of Florida’s barrier islands that took the brunt of Hurricanes Helene and Milton: A moment relaxing along the sandy beach.
Some of the beaches have reopened just two weeks after Hurricane Milton again sent a miles-long and feet-deep stretch of the Gulf of Mexico smashing through beachfront towns with its storm surge. The scars remain — sand covering streets and yards as homes and businesses are either heavily damaged or in ruins.
“There’s sand in the water, there’s still some moisture below,” FOX Weather’s Robert Ray said while pointing out a damaged home in Bradenton Beach that sat just across the street from the beach. “There are bugs, (there are) odors.”
Over in Treasure Island, a debris pile continues to grow as crews haul away damaged property from across the island, now stretching 50 feet high and 100 yards across, Ray said.
FOX Weather’s Robert Ray returns to Treasure Island to check up on the barrier island’s recovery efforts after suffering blows from both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
While piles of debris still await cleanup, homeowners and business owners still fight the recovery battle on multiple other heartbreaking and frustrating levels.
“First of all, many people have lost their lives. So you can imagine what the families and friends are going through,” Ray said. “Secondly, many people have lost their homes. Thirdly, businesses are gone… and people are trying to navigate the insurance highway… And the FEMA paperwork and that is remarkable in its own way.”
Ray said some victims may not be able to rebuild due to insurance, FEMA regulations and building codes.
“And so what do they do? You know, their nest eggs are here,” Ray wondered. “They’ve had flood insurance. Some flood insurance is not actually covering these disasters. So all of this is compounding.”
FOX Weather’s Robert Ray shows us the lingering damage across Bradenton, Florida which took twin punches from Helene and Milton, and shows the challenges residents and business owners face beyond just repairing physical damage.
And as fast as the recovery efforts are trying to move, there are only so many haulers and so many people to help the rebuild happen because of the swath and the impact of these systems from Florida to the Carolinas.
He says the complexities are so intense and so long-term, that it’s just mind-boggling.
“So Godspeed to everyone that’s going through this,” he said.
In the meantime, the beach can provide a moment of reflection on a much sunnier, tranquil weather day.
“There’s some people that are enjoying this peace and that’s what they’ve got to do right now. You do. You need the solace,” Ray said. “You need to sit and just look out and reflect. And that’s what’s here for them right now.”