SIESTA KEY, Florida — Chris Fiore was supposed to be accepting delivery of new household appliances and furniture, replacing items that were swamped by Hurricane Helene just a few weeks ago.

Instead, the resident of Siesta Key, the Florida barrier island town where Hurricane Milton made landfall this week, was using a broom to push muck and seawater out of her ground-floor condo, a dream home she purchased just four years ago.

"There is no chance I'm pulling up stakes," Fiore said on Friday (Oct 11), pointing out the waterline where ocean water earlier this week was two feet (60 cm) up a wall. "I'm doubling down, thinking about hurricane windows and doors, figuring out how to stop this water from coming in."

This sentiment was echoed by several residents of Siesta Key who spoke with Reuters on Friday. Residents were outnumbered by clean-up workers and people handing out cards advertising roofing and other construction services following two major hurricanes in two weeks.

All were feeling down but none seemed defeated, despite the threats of more and stronger hurricanes in the future.

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