Some Floridians with LI ties lucky to dodge serious Milton damage

Some former Long Island residents who live in Florida were counting their blessings Thursday after dodging major damage from Hurricane Milton and tornadoes that left at least several people dead and more than 3 million people without power in the Sunshine State.

Many of those Newsday spoke to previously survived other major storms, including Superstorm Sandy's battering of the New York region in 2012. But for the transplants, the latest hurricane still struck a nerve, even as they escaped danger.

Two years ago, Karin Araya and his family moved from Islip to Valrico in Hillsborough County, about 20 miles east of downtown Tampa. On Thursday, high winds collapsed the aluminum frame enclosure around his family's outdoor pool and scattered tree limbs on the lawn, bringing back memories of when flooding from Sandy destroyed their home in Woodmere.

"The preparations for this storm were a flashback from Sandy ... Floridians are used to this but even they were making fun of us and how crazy we were going," Araya, 34, said of his family's storm preparations.

Ayara and some other former Long Islanders who escaped the worst of Milton's damage described an aftermath that included sirens wailing from emergency vehicles, flooding and downed trees that made roads impassable. Many were without electricity. 

Carey Gerardi, 53, who grew up in Copiague and has lived in Palmetto in Manatee County since 2020, counts herself as a veteran of storms that include Sandy and then Hurricane Ian in 2022.

"But this is the first time we were really scared," Gerardi said of her family. 

The Gerardis lost power around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and still were without it Thursday afternoon. While their property damage was minor, the scene in their neighborhood told a different story. The wreckage included a portable bathroom that went airborne from a construction site and ended up on a neighbor’s lawn.

About 70 miles north in Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, recent transplant Ann Marchese, 73, rode out Milton at home, while fearing the worst. 

"We were shaking in our boots," said Marchese, who in November relocated from Kings Park with her husband.

Since then, they've coped with a downpour from Hurricane Debby in August and the wrath of Hurricane Helene, which ripped roof shingles off their home while passing through Florida two weeks ago.

Marchese said the residence is in an evacuation zone but she and her husband didn't leave because of Cooper, their 105-pound yellow Labrador retriever. Going to a storm shelter required a pet crate, which Marchese said they didn't have. Instead of leaving, she and her husband hunkered down with Cooper, covering all the windows and taking refuge in the middle of the house.

"We were all packed and ready to go. But the shelter would not take my dog, and I'm not leaving my dog," Marchese said. 

About 10 miles away in Dunedin, also in Pinellas County, no gas was available and groceries were hard to find Thursday, according to Jennifer McGoldrick, 40, a Rockville Centre native who has lived in Florida for 7 years.

McGoldrick said Thursday afternoon her home had no electricity and both a tree and a power line had fallen on it.

"I’ve never heard so many booms ... from downed transformers than I did last night," said McGoldrick, whose roof also lost several shingles. "The howls of the wind were very scary. It was almost like an angry growl."

Annette Paone, 70, a Westbury native who lives in Land O' Lakes in Pasco County, said Thursday she was thankful her home wasn't in the direct line of destruction. Her exterior fence and landscaping suffered minor damage.

"It was so stressful," Paone said. "But I am grateful."