Hurricane Milton made landfall on Siesta Key on the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday night as a major Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds as the state has endured an assault of nearly 120 tornado warnings throughout the day.

The barrier island community of Boca Grande on Florida's west coast sustained significant damage from Hurricane Milton. Vehicles were swept away and businesses were caked in sand. With the only bridge into Boca Grande closed,

To prepare for Hurricane Milton, the waterlines for St. Pete Beach, a resort city on a barrier island west of St. Petersburg, are set to turn off on Tuesday morning.

In advance of Hurricane Milton, Pinellas County will shut down potable water to the barrier islands on Oct. 9.

Hours after hurricane Milton slammed Florida's barrier islands, residents and business owners were allowed to return to survey the damage.

Less than 48 hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, many residents were returning to the barrier islands off of Sarasota for the first time since evacuating earlier in the week. Late Friday morning,

After taking a direct hit from powerful and destructive Hurricane Milton, officials have re-opened access to the barrier islands. Reporting from Fort Myers, NBC’s Sam Brock tours the extensive damage for TODAY.