Residents living along Lemon Bay in Grove City are trying to salvage what little remains of their homes and lives.
The area received about 9 feet of storm surge.
David Phillips, a local resident, described the destruction as if “a war went through.” The storm scattered refrigerators, medication, and even family photo albums across his property.
Kim Phillips is sorting through the wreckage.
“We’re starting a little pile over along the fence of stuff that might be salvageable for people,” she said. "We got a lot of elderly people on our street that I don't know what they're going to do. Their houses are a mess."
For some residents, Hurricane Milton was just the latest in a series of disasters. Their neighbors, the Campbells, were already dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which had flooded their home with a foot and a half of water.
Then came Milton.
“Milton brought us three feet of water in our house, so it’s unlivable,” said Gail Campbell.
Larry Campbell added, “We’re going to live in a camper in the front yard.”
Gail said, "For a couple that's 83 and 84 years old. I think we're doing remarkably well. We want to thank everyone that's been here to assist us. And, we'll make it. We got a few good years left, and we're going to do it."
Donald Hamsher, a local contractor for Hamsher Homes Inc., estimates it could take years for the area to fully recover from the destruction.
Hamsher said, "I've been here 27 years in the area as a builder and have never seen devastation like this before. You drive down the street, and you can't really see the devastation until you go to the storm surge side, which is the backside. And then you see that the back side of the home, they're totally blown out. There's docks inside of people's houses. There's canoes inside. There's their personal items have been just totally washed away."
When asked what residents wanted people to know, residents had a clear message: they need help.
This community, devastated by back-to-back hurricanes, is asking for support as they face the long road ahead.