Florida and Georgia residents living along Hurricane Idalia's path of destruction are picking through piles of rubble where homes once stood, throwing tarps over roofs and gingerly navigating through mazes of streets left underwater or clogged with fallen trees.
HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. — Florida and Georgia residents living along Hurricane Idalia's path of destruction on Thursday picked through piles of rubble where homes once stood, threw tarps over ripped-apart roofs and gingerly navigated streets left underwater or clogged with fallen trees and dangerous electric wires.
Residents of the tiny town, most of whom evacuated inland during the storm, helped each other clear debris or collect belongings — high school trophies, photos, records, china. They frequently stopped to hug amid tears. Six-foot-high watermarks stained walls still standing, marking the extent of the storm surge.
The storm had 90 mph winds when it made a direct hit on Valdosta on Wednesday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said. "It's a maze. ... I had to turn around three times, just because roads were blocked off," Roberson said. Tammy Bryan, a member of the severely damaged First Baptist Church, said Horseshoe Beach residents consider themselves a family, one largely anchored by the church.
Despite the widespread destruction in the Big Bend, where Florida's Panhandle curves into the peninsula, it provided only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas, DeSantis noted. In contrast, Hurricane Ian last year hit the heavily populated Fort Myers area, leaving 149 dead in the state.
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