Two years after Hurricane Milton brought flooding, debris and wind damage to parts of Florida’s east coast, residents in Barefoot Bay are reflecting on what they came home to as the state watches Hurricane Isaias.
Barefoot Bay, a manufactured home community in Brevard County, looks much different today than it did after Milton moved through the area. Neighbors said streets were flooded and yards were covered with debris after the storm.“
There was debris everywhere and a lot to pick up for folks that work at the Bay,” said Bryce Shonka, who lives in Barefoot Bay.
Milton was the last hurricane to hit Florida. As it came ashore, the storm spawned 17 tornadoes, most of them along Florida’s east coast.
One tornado hit a senior care facility in St. Lucie County, killing several people. Severe damage was also reported in Palm Beach County. In Brevard County, a tornado caused damage in Cocoa Beach.
In Barefoot Bay, residents said the damage came from a microburst.
Some neighbors said they evacuated before the storm arrived.“I lock up the house, make it hurricane proof and then I leave,” resident Marty Terris said.
When he returned, Terris said the biggest issue near his home was water.
“It was just a lot of flooding. That was about it for here,” he said.
Others in the community were not as fortunate. Residents said some homes had torn roofs, downed trees and damaged carports.
“There were a few folks in the Bay that had their carports destroyed,” Shonka said.