FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Christal Shola was one of dozens of people in a long stream of cars waiting to re-enter Fort Myers Beach on Thursday a few hours after Hurricane Milton slammed into the town. A person walks through surge waters after Hurricane Milton made landfall in the Sarasota area in Fort Myers on Wednesday. Local and federal officials have praised residents for taking evacuation warnings seriously and leaving at-risk communities, including the barrier islands, long before the storm hit. “I really want to thank the residents of the barrier islands for listening to us this time,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. Other barrier islands remain inaccessible or have limited services for residents.

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