CLEARWATER, Fla. — News10NBC has been checking in with former Western New Yorkers now living in Florida as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Joe Agostinelli, who lives in Clearwater, says the area is a mess. He shared photos of what he woke up to Thursday morning, but says luckily, the damage isn’t too extreme.

With his apartment stocked with supplies and his cellphone charged up, Joe tried to get some sleep last night. But he said the intense rain woke him up, along with the anticipation of what was to come.

Joe had cushions ready in a closet that he planned to take cover in, in case of a tornado. His building doesn’t have power at the moment, but he’s been able to use his friends’ power across the street.

The damage outside is mostly the contents of people’s lives — personal belongings, appliances, even couches.

“Trees, some poles, some light poles. You know, I’ve heard a couple, you know, ground level apartments, got some water into my mind, did not. So, you know, outside of that, the area around here is just too bluntly a mess. There’s, you know, sirens all day, you know, so far. And it’s going to be quite the recovery,” Agostinelli said.

Thursday morning he and a group of strangers were removing trees off of cars for neighbors. He says one thing he’s learned is that people come together when they need to and they will rebuild their area stronger than before.

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