All across Florida, residents are assessing the damage left behind by Hurricane Milton. Niko Clemmons, Lorena Inclan and Jamie Guirola report.
Cleanup has begun across Florida after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key.
On Thursday, search and rescue crews, first responders, as well as city of Miami Police and Fire Rescue drove onto the island to assess the damage and start cleaning up.
In Palmetto, Alvarez Mexican Restaurant wasn't spared from Milton's strong winds.
“Basically walked into this,” Victoria Sarmiento said, showing off the damage.
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Part of the roof was ripped off of the building and there's damage inside. The family owned business opened nearly 50 years ago in September 1976. Victoria Sarmiento grew up working there.
HURRICANE MILTON LATEST
“Devastation, this is 48 years of my grandmother's hard work,” Sarmiento said.
Sarmiento said they'll have to close their doors for now but said it's a minor setback.
“As grandma said, a building can be replaced, lives cannot be replaced, so we thank God we all left,” Sarmiento said. “We'll do the best we can to get back up and running as soon as we can."
In Sarasota, Milton’s winds tossed boats across the bay.
“All of them are gone,” Doreen Despastino said.
Despastino evacuated her home in Sarasota and went to Naples. When she came back Thursday, she found her boat damaged, but was glad no one was hurt.
“I'm so thankful everyone is okay and safe and we evacuated, when they said to leave we left,” Despastino said.
In Sarasota, access to the barrier islands will reopen with one westbound and one eastbound lane on the southern span Little Ringling Bridge at 8 a.m. Friday.
