DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The impact left behind by Hurricane Ian remains clear in many places across Central Florida.

Furniture soaked with water now sits curbside, and debris torn down by the wind is waiting to be collected.

What to keep and what to throw out is the question constantly on people's minds.

"All these toys," said Al Thomas, as he thumbed through his child's belongings.

His home in the Midtown area of Daytona Beach was hit hard by flood damage during Ian. Every day since the storm, he's been moving nonstop.

"That's all I thought about,” Thomas said, laughing. “Getting his stuff up first so he won't be yelling and hollering."

With a 1-year-old son to care for, he's been cleaning whatever he can and trying to salvage some of his family's possessions.

The exact property Thomas lives in now has been around for years. His grandmother passed it down to him and his brother, so making sure it's taken care of is something he considers a top priority.

That responsibility now has been heightened because of circumstances out of his hands.

"I Febreezed it, I put that Lysol on it, and then I put that mildew stuff on it," Thomas said, pointing to his sofa. "Because right now I can't afford no couch. We going to use these until we're able to get some new ones."

Most furniture in the house was damaged because of the water.

"Taking pictures and videos," he said.

Thomas said he is hoping insurance can help with replacing items that he needs. It's why he's snapped hundreds of photos throughout the house.

"Some stuff you can't get back; you feel what I'm saying?” Thomas said. “Some stuff you can, but that sentimental stuff, you can never get that back. Once it's gone, it's gone."

Thomas, who was born and raised in Daytona Beach, has never experienced anything like the damage left behind by Hurricane Ian.

On top of the historic levels of rain, he said his neighborhood sits in a low-lying area that makes it susceptible to flooding. Once the water started to rise, it had nowhere else to go.

The flood has dried up in his neighborhood, but the impacts it left will be felt for a while.

"Gotta put in the work,” Thomas said. “Ain't nobody else going to do it."

He's not sure how long it will take him and his neighbors to recover from Ian completely, but he said he’s trying to remain positive while they continue clean-up efforts.