Anna Maria Island took a big hit from Hurricane Milton.
At 8:30 p.m. Oct. 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Sarasota County near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm. Siesta Key is a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, about 30 miles from Anna Maria Island. Another well-known area on Anna Maria Island is Bradenton Beach, Florida. After Hurricane Milton hit land, the tropical system then wreaked havoc across Central Florida before exiting out of Cape Canaveral a day later.
Hurricane Milton brought 8-10 feet of storm surge to Sarasota, destroying more than 100 homes in the area, downing trees and power lines. More than 227,000 customers in Sarasota County were without power the next day – about 76% of the county.
From Sarasota to Cocoa Beach, several cities reported immense devastation following the storm, including damaged buildings, severe flooding and even loss of life. Before Hurricane Milton made landfall, a wave of tropical tornados swept across the state, specifically in Lee County, Palm Beach County, Broward County, St. Lucie County and Brevard County.
More than 3 million homes and businesses in Florida were without power 12 hours after landfall, nearly 29% of the state. During an Oct. 10 briefing, Gov. Ron DeSantis said 50,000 linemen, from as far away as California, were helping to restore electricity as the state recovers. “The storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst case scenario,” DeSantis said.
Over the weekend, limited access to Bird Key, Lido Key, St. Armands and Siesta Key had been restored, for residents and business owners.
Two weeks earlier, Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, as a powerful Category 4 storm in the Big Bend region of Florida (near Tallahassee). Hurricane Helene hit land after 11 p.m. Sept. 26, 2024, bringing a massive storm surge to Tampa, Fort Myers and other parts of Southwest Florida and the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Helene then continued its wrath in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina − particularly Asheville, N.C.
Hurricane Helene caused damage to Anna Maria Island, Florida, but Hurricane Milton was comparatively much worse.
Below are photo galleries from journalists from the (Sarasota) Herald-Tribune, a USA TODAY Network newspaper from Hurricane Helene and, more recently, Hurricane Milton.
These photos tell the story of Hurricane Milton’s destruction on Anna Maria Island, Florida.
Hurricane Milton damage photos of Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, in October 2024
Hurricane Helene damage photos of Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, in September 2024
Hurricane Milton damage photos of Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida, in October 2024
Hurricane Helene damage photos of Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida, in September 2024
Contributing reporting: Kim Luciani, USA TODAY Network-Florida
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Hurricane Milton damage: Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach, Florida
