Venice residents consider themselves fortunate after Hurricane Milton leaves a mark
Grateful. Lucky. Blessed. These are words some Venice residents used to describe themselves and their city after Hurricane Milton made landfall a few miles north of them.
Other than losing electrical power, cell service, water and some vegetation, several residents say their homes didn’t sustain any severe damage from the hurricane on Wednesday night.
“We had a little bit of damage. We had tree limbs down, plants and other debris and such but there are a lot of people worse off than we are,” said Christine Straus as she handed out coffee to her neighbors Thursday morning.
“Anything is hard to find right now so I’m hoping the coffee helps. We were very blessed.”
A beach-goer finds a spot next to a lifeguard station that did not survive the storm surge at Venice Beach following Hurricane Milton in Venice, Florida.
The Ohio native said she moved to Venice about seven years ago and has gone through four or five hurricanes but still loves the area.
Tom and Carol Norville who live on Venice Avenue say they are grateful.
“We’ve been through a few hurricanes. This is probably the fourth one that was kind of memorable. But this one (Hurricane Milton) has come the closest, so far, to us,” Tom Norville said.
The couple evacuated to Palmer Ranch – about three miles inland – on Wednesday night.
A boat hangs from a boat lift in Venice Bay Mobile Home Park in Venice, Florida on Thursday following Hurricane Milton.
“We came out here this morning and to our surprise, the surge didn’t make it all the way up here. Our elevation is about 11 feet, and it looks like the surge here was probably about 7 or 8 feet – that was about it,’” he said of their home about a half-mile from Venice Beach.
The couple said their yard had the most damage.
“No water in our house, just yard work,” Carol Norville said. “We’ve breathed a big sigh of relief now that Milton has passed.”
In the historic downtown, a live oak tree in Heritage Park didn’t survive this hurricane – falling across and blocking Venice Avenue. Coastal Mowing and Tree was cutting up and removing the tree and other debris Thursday afternoon.
A contractor contemplates how to begin demolishing the damaged roof of a home Thursday on Tarpon Center Dr. in Venice, Florida following Hurricane Milton.
“In Florida, we don’t have true growth seasons because we don’t ever get cold (winter), so you can’t count the rings to know the exact age of the tree. However, due to its size in this area, it’s a good bet that this tree is probably 80 to 100 years old,” Austin, the tree cutter said, noting the tree could be even older and has survived other major hurricanes – but not Milton.
“It made it through Ian. It made it through Irma and Charley. It made it through Helene. Milton was the last straw for her, and she finally came down.”
Several boats at Freedom Boat Club in Venice Harbor also didn’t weather the hurricane well. High winds tossed the pontoon boats about and stacked several on top of each other. One boat ended up on land.
Venice Beach was a favorite destination for many residents who came out to check on the shore.
“Other than the lifeguard stand, it’s still beautiful out here,” said Kellie Van Hilton, who rode out the storm with her husband and dogs at their North Venice Beach home.
“We have no power, no cellphone service but our house is fine, and we live here, so we know that we’re lucky.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Hurricane Milton hits Venice with surge, but less than expected
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