Residents of Siesta Key take stock of flooded homes and businesses just hours after up to seven feet of storm surge washed through the island.

Midnight Pass, a naturally formed inlet separating Siesta and Casey Keys, was filled in in the 1980s by Siesta Key beachfront residents to protect their homes from destruction due to erosion. Critics say closing the pass has degraded the water quality of Sarasota Bay and have fought, unsuccessfully, to reopen it.

Aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Siesta Key, Florida the morning after as businesses and residents try to recover.

Eric and Lauren Cowan walked out of Morton’s Siesta Market and briefly into Siesta Village Liquors, which was set to close at noon because of the storm. The pair visit Siesta Key at least once a year from their Pennsylvania home, already having spent time on Siesta in July.

The storm surge, which was described by County Commissioner Mark Smith as 3 feet in height in the area, left many businesses working to clean up, with repairs and renovations ahead. Todd Morton, owner of Morton's Siesta Market and its sister stores, summarized the situation.

Fast-moving Hurricane Helene is advancing across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, and it's been upgraded to a Category 2 storm.

Hurricane Helene's staggering storm surge inundated neighborhoods on Siesta Key, leaving businesses and residents with a long road to recovery.

Siesta Key roads still flooded as crews work to restore power. Yahoo Sports