Ellenton neighborhood ripped apart by Hurricane Milton: 'Hard to believe'

Hurricane Milton: Homes destroyed in Ellenton

Evyn Moon reports

ELLENTON, Fla. - Manatee County saw some of the harshest winds from Hurricane Milton Wednesday night as the eye wall of the storm hit the area. Cities like Ellenton and Bradenton are now suffering serious damage.

One mobile home park in Ellenton, called Tidevue, was blown apart.

"It's sickening. I can’t function. My heads gone, it's not there. You work all your life and retire and this is what you get," said Kathy McGinnis, who's entire roof was thrown from her home during the storm.

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Another Ellenton resident had her new Florida sun room, which was just renovated and finished one week ago, ripped from her home and destroyed.

"I’m still full of emotion, because it's hard to believe. I turned the corner and thought I was dreaming. It's so surreal and so devastating," said Paula O’Neill.

Now, she's thinking about moving from Florida.

"I want to rebuild, but I think we're probably going to say goodbye to Florida, because we’re getting too old to keep doing this," O'Neill said.

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Another neighbor in Tidevue was there during the storm, sheltering in the community center, and said she heard the destruction in real time.

"Loud crashing, giant chunks of metal scraping through the parking lot… I was very scared, but glad to be in a shelter. This is why you don’t stay in mobile homes," said the woman. "[My neighbors] are devastated. Some people, this is their only home. They're not all snow birds here, and now they’re homeless. It's terrible."

This kind of destruction can be seen all across Manatee County. Officials are still working to clean up debris, power lines, traffic signals and restore power. They urge residents to still be careful while accessing damage.

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