Boats were scattered across Punta Gorda, a city in southwest Florida on the Gulf Coast, as a result of storm surge and flooding caused by Hurricane Milton, according to a city official on Thursday.
The Assistant City Manager, Melissa Reichert, described the scene as surreal, with boats ending up in unexpected places such as tennis courts, park areas, and even across the street.
Fortunately, there were no reported casualties in Punta Gorda. However, the impact of Hurricane Milton's storm surge was reminiscent of the recent damage caused by Hurricane Helene just two weeks prior.
Reichert expressed the community's struggle, stating that residents and business owners were still in the early stages of recovery from the previous hurricane. The consecutive hits have left the community in a state of devastation.
