As the sun rises on another day of devastation, the residents of Southwest Florida's once-idyllic coastline are left to pick up the pieces and face an uncertain future.

Scores of Manasota Key homes and businesses were severely damaged after Hurricane Helene landed on Sept. 26. Then last Wednesday came Milton’s much higher storm surge and more powerful wind, strong enough to rip entire homes from their foundations and toss them into the water.

Sand is piled up to the first floor of most homes on Manasota Key, a sliver of land off Florida’s west coast, where devastation is widespread.