Access is restored to Siesta Key, a barrier island in Sarasota County where Hurricane Milton made landfall, and people are getting a first look at the storm’s aftermath

After battering the west coast of Florida with winds, pounding rain and storm surge, Hurricane Milton roared onshore near Siesta Key at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 hurricane with estimated wind speeds of 120 mph.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — When Hurricane Miton arrived at Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday night, it made landfall near Siesta Key, an 8-mile-long island just west of Sarasota. In nearby Sarasota, Milton left debris-littered streets, trees toppled over on houses and a massive cleanup effort for residents and business owners.