The damage left by Hurricane Milton was the No. 1 news story in 2024 in The Villages.
In October, the late-season hurricane flooded the boardwalk at Lake Sumter Landing and left behind plenty of debris.
The boardwalk didn’t reopen until December, which is about the same time the last of the debris from the storm was picked up in The Villages.
Villagers grew frustrated by the amount of time it took to collect the debris. The Villages was using a contracted hauler operating under strict guidelines for reimbursement by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some residents were aghast that The Villages was seeking FEMA reimbursement at a time when many other victims of catastrophic weather events were still waiting for help.
The golf courses were flooded during Hurricane Milton, which is by design and protects homes from flooding. However, golfers soon became impatient and demanded the reopening of golf courses.
Residents of the Oak Grove Village area in Wildwood were trapped in their homes due to flooding from Hurricane Milton.