FLORIDA — Entire hurricane seasons have come and gone without Floridians finding themselves in nature’s crosshairs, but that hasn’t been the case in recent years.

From the widespread devastation of direct coastal impacts to the inland neighborhoods swamped by passing storms, Spectrum News crews span the state to tell the personal stories of resilience along the uneven path to recovery.

Hurricane Idalia

Keaton Beach (August 30, 2023)

A Category 3 when it made landfall in the morning hours of August 30, Hurricane Idalia came ashore at Keaton Beach.

The damage in the nearby close-knit community of Horseshoe Beach was catastrophic. Fifty miles from the hurricane’s center, storm surge proved a much greater danger than strong winds.

With so many uninsured homes passed down through generations, families find themselves unsure of what the future looks like for their Gulf coast paradise.

When Idalia’s forecast cone shifted west, anxiety over the potential for storm surge across the Tampa Bay area quickly dropped. The passing storm spared most of the region but swept several St. Petersburg neighborhoods.

Shore Acres took the brunt of it, with storm surge flooding into homes.

One family forced to make extensive repairs knows the process all too well. They went through it when Tropical Storm Eta flooded their home in 2020. Now, they’re starting again on a labor of love to restore a neighborhood they treasure.

Hurricane Nicole

Vero Beach (November 10, 2022)

Hurricane Nicole brought Florida an unnecessary reminder that a storm’s destruction sometimes lies under not only what comes ashore, but also from what gets washed out to sea.

The Category 1 storm made landfall in the middle of the night at Vero Beach and caused unprecedented damage to the coastline of Volusia County — just six weeks after Hurricane Ian eroded the delicate shoreline.

Now well into the next hurricane season, homeowners are still working to rebuild sea walls before their next storm.

Hurricane Ian

Cayo Costa (September 28, 2022)

A worst-case scenario for southwest Florida became a painful reality for thousands of people when Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall at Cayo Costa.

Cataclysmic storm surge drowned nearby tourist hotspots, with several feet of flood water reaching the mainland coast and farther inland.

One year later, scars remain raw, but clear signs of recovery are all around.

Ian’s overland trek from southwest to Central Florida knocked winds into the high double digits but did nothing to taper the hurricane’s relentless rains.

Large swaths of the region were left under water, including Orange County’s Orlo Vista neighborhood.

The flooding is long gone, but the work to prevent future problems is far from complete — including a $20 million dollar project underway since the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Hurricane Michael

Mexico Beach (October 10, 2018)

“Category 5.” It sparks justified fear in anyone who finds themselves in the path of such a destructive force of nature. Michael lived up to the highest classification of hurricane when it bulldozed parts of the panhandle.

In one sleepy beach town, 80% of all structures were damaged. Five years later, not everything is fully rebuilt.

Mexico Beach has only one sit-down restaurant, and there’s no grocery store. Still, the determination to recover what was lost remains strong.

A half-hour’s drive up the coast, Panama City continues its long road to a full recovery, as well.

Many of the 22,000 people across Bay County displaced by the hurricane are still living in limbo, and a large marina in a city where life revolves around the water remains closed.

It’s a lifestyle that families across the panhandle say they’re committed to recreating.

Property Insurance: Crisis Amid Recovery

When a storm strikes, the people facing a surge of repair bills rely on their property insurance policies to pay out. But structural issues with the industry and the recent string of Florida hurricane landfalls have put home and business owners in a tightening vise.

Companies are fleeing the state, canceling policies without notice, and those that stay are often raising premiums.

Lawmakers met earlier this year to address the issues with legislation, but it will take time to find out of the new laws will prove effective.