BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A once-popular stop for cracking open crabs and eating seafood next to the Indian River was severely damaged when the roof over those benches that guests sat at for decades collapsed during Hurricane Milton.
News 6 reporter James Sparvero recorded the damage after the storm passed through Brevard County.
The seafood market closed two years ago when “Ms. Apples” herself said she fell while up on the roof.
The property sat idle until Milton’s maximum wind gusts of over 70 mph reached Brevard County this week.
[RELATED: Where Milton ranks among strongest Atlantic hurricanes | Strongest winds so far in Central Florida from Hurricane Milton | Download the FREE News 6 hurricane app]
Other severe damage to businesses and homes was reported due to an EF-1 tornado, which hours ahead of Milton’s arrival touched down in Cocoa Beach.
Former Ms. Apples employee Charles Salmon said he expects it will take a long time before the property is fixed. Brevard County owns the property now.
“They’re going to put a new building up, eventually,” Salmon said. “Hopefully, we’ll be back in the business again.”
Ms. Apples told Sparvero she would like to rebuild and reopen the store.
”There used to be a line of people all the way around the street, all the way up the sidewalk,” Salmon said. “They’d wait for hours just to get the crabs.”
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