Chicago woman worried about her Florida home, business after Hurricane Milton
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Some Chicagoans are caught in the middle of the cleanup after Hurricane Milton in Florida—taking care of their homes or businesses there.
One woman was safely at a friend's house when she talked to CBS News Chicago, but she was still unsure about what would happen next.
Leah Chavie said the hardest part the day after Milton made landfall was simply not knowing what has happened to her business and her home on Florida's west coast, near Sarasota.
"That's the hardest part is the not knowing," Chavie said.
She started a second Leah Chavie Skincare Boutique in Florida during the pandemic—first on an island, then moving inland to busy Cortez Road in Bradenton. Ahead of the hurricane, she boarded everything up at her storefront, and also boarded and sandbagged her home.
Chavie said she lost power and internet at both her home and her business, so she has not been able to check the cameras and see how things look.
But she was watching news reports Thursday night, and when the power went out, she kept in contact with other business owners on either side of her store.
"Right then, all of our hearts kind of sank. I'm like, it's time just to start praying, you know, at this point, because we can't see—and we're all safe," Chavie said. "So we just have to kind of roll with it and pick up, you know, whatever is left at the end of the day."
Video from Bradenton Police showed the powerful winds overnight.
After the storm passed, traffic lights were hanging limply in the streets of Bradenton. Boats were tossed around, crashing into concrete walls and landing on patches of grass.
This was Chavie's fourth hurricane since she started splitting her time in Florida.
"I stayed during Helene, and I was up, and I was a nervous wreck the whole night," said Chavie, "and I think, you know, I didn't sleep last night either."
Chavie evacuated with her friend to Boca Raton, driving about 240 miles to safety. She said depending on the damage to her Florida storefront, she may start spending more time in her Gold Coast boutique on Chestnut Street—which is currently open about one week every month.
"Just depends, again, what we're going back to," Chavie said. "I don't know—I just, you know, want to try to support community—and pray that everything is standing, and we can pull through this."