Hermine storm surge damages homes on Florida's Gulf Coast

CEDAR KEY, FL (KTRK) -- Hurricane Hermine left behind devastation in communities on Florida's Gulf Coast.

The storm surge hit a record level in Cedar Key: nearly six feet. The power of that surge ripped through buildings, leaving devastation in its wake.

"Oh yeah, the most intense thing I've ever been in," said Justin Hartung.

Folks living on the island of Cedar Key say Hermine wreaked havoc as it slammed ashore.

"Ferocious. Absolutely ferocious. Unending. Unceasing. Between the waves and the wind, its just a torrent of sensory overload," said storm victim Barbara Hogan.

She lives in a condo on the island. From the second floor she had a front row seat to the devastation. Only with daybreak was she able to get downstairs to see what was left behind.

"The power of water is awesome," she said.

Somehow a dock ended up in Frances Hodges' front yard, not quite a block from the water.

"This is the first time we've ever had anything like this," Hodges said.

Meteorologists say winds topped 80 miles per hour as Hermine battered the Gulf Coast of Florida, leaving one person dead and 250,000 at one point, without power.