Hurricane Milton devastates popular areas for ‘snowbirds’ on Gulf Coast

By MIKE SCHNEIDER and KATE PAYNE

BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Preamble “snowbird” season Despite being only a few weeks away from Florida, many Florida Gulf Coast beaches, regularly ranked among the best in the United States, are closed to the public due to the devastation caused by the earthquake. Hurricane Milton two weeks ago.

Sarasota’s Tony St. Most restaurants and stores in the Armands Circle neighborhood were flooded by Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which devastated Florida almost two weeks before Milton. The dominant performing arts venue in Sarasota is closed until January due to extensive damage. Piles of debris litter Gulf Coast roads.

Hurricane Milton’s devastating impact on Florida’s Gulf Coast hit one of the most popular areas for snowbirds (those who temporarily live the winter months in the Sunshine State) just before the start of the season, which usually runs from Halloween to Easter. Milton made landfall on the barrier island in Sarasota County as a Category 3 hurricane. Storm coastal houses filled with sand pilespushed water inland, generating tens of billions of dollars in revenue privately insured losses Up and down the Gulf Coast.

Construction contractor Larry West, who has been working long hours digging through four-foot sand drifts driven by the storm, said visitors should stay away for now so as not to interfere with the work of residents and rescue workers. Apartment complex on Manasota Key, about 20 miles south of Sarasota.

“Give this area time. “Don’t come here,” West said. “There’s no use getting people in your way.”

Other Floridians along the Gulf Coast take the opposite view. In Clearwater, 35 miles north of Sarasota, Mayor Bruce Rector said he is fielding calls from: as far away as canadahe asked him “Mayor, when will it be safe for Canadians to return to Clearwater?”

“I told them, ‘Today,’” the chancellor said at a recent meeting of the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council. “It won’t be perfect, but you will always have an experience similar to what you had here.”

Shawn Kaleta, one of the largest property owners on Anna Maria Island, about 20 miles north of Sarasota, is also feeling optimistic about this season, as bookings at the rental properties he manages are trending up from last year.

Florida, a state of 23 million people, has about 1.5 million seasonal residents annually, with about a third of them coming from Canada.

Evan Rachkovsky, communications director for the Canadian Snowbirds Association, said he hasn’t heard of any members canceling plans, even those whose homes were damaged, but some are postponing their trips until the situation improves.

“Most of our members will still move south as planned,” Rachkovsky said.

Some snowbirds have already made their annual migration south despite recent storms, and they’re returning to pickleball clubs and tennis leagues even as some of their neighbors’ apartments remain unlivable.

A large portion of snowbirds are performing arts patrons, as Sarasota is known for its thriving performing arts scene. Milton caused extensive damage to the Van Wezel performing arts hall, home to the Sarasota Orchestra and Sarasota Ballet, and all shows were canceled until the beginning of the new year.

Over the past few years, many snowbirds have delayed coming to Florida, opting to return after hurricane season ends in late November. As a result, some performing arts groups are delaying the start of their seasons until later in the year, said Richard Russell, general manager of the Sarasota Opera, where about 40% of its season subscribers are snowbirds.

“If people delay returning for a few years because of the storm in late October, that could be the new pattern,” Russell said.