Residents of Siesta Key take stock of flooded homes and businesses just hours after up to seven feet of storm surge washed through the island.

The Herald-Tribune documented damage to Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island from the air Friday.

The storm surge, which was described by County Commissioner Mark Smith as 3 feet in height in the area, left many businesses working to clean up, with repairs and renovations ahead. Todd Morton, owner of Morton's Siesta Market and its sister stores, summarized the situation.

Hurricane Helene's staggering storm surge inundated neighborhoods on Siesta Key, leaving businesses and residents with a long road to recovery.

Eric and Lauren Cowan walked out of Morton’s Siesta Market and briefly into Siesta Village Liquors, which was set to close at noon because of the storm. The pair visit Siesta Key at least once a year from their Pennsylvania home, already having spent time on Siesta in July.

Midnight Pass, a naturally formed inlet separating Siesta and Casey Keys, was filled in in the 1980s by Siesta Key beachfront residents to protect their homes from destruction due to erosion. Critics say closing the pass has degraded the water quality of Sarasota Bay and have fought, unsuccessfully, to reopen it.

Injuries and underperformance sank the Red Sox in 2024, but many of the pieces are in place for a postseason return. A promised $100K deal gone unpaid has led UNLV QB Matthew Sluka to leave the team, sparking controversy and highlighting the unruly world of college football recruiting.