Hurricane Irma: South Florida Rebounds Amid Chainsaws, Generators

BOCA RATON, FL — The wrath of hurricane Irma gave way to a rebirth of South Florida on Monday as chainsaws smashed through downed trees and generators whirred from Key West to Miami and West Palm Beach. Work crews cleared downed branches from streets while homeowners emerged from their cocoon-like shelters to witness the calm after the storm. Some restaurants, bars and supermarkets reopened to grateful patrons who waited in lines to trade war stories and enjoy the brilliant sunshine once again.

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While many were still unable to get back to their neighborhoods after unprecedented evacuations ahead of Irma, others saw the return to normalcy taking shape as neighbor helped neighbor. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Miami Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Watch: Florida Governor: A Long Road To Recovery After Irma

At one Publix supermarket in Boca Raton, shoppers lined up for deli subs but were disappointed to find that the store had run out of ice. Many were still without power and unable to make their own.

"Everybody is just happy to be out and about," observed a Publix checker.

Yvonne Rodriguez operates a cigar distributorship in the Miami area, but she was enjoying the return of sunshine in downtown Delray Beach, not far from where she rode out the storm.

"We stayed here in Boynton beach for the storm," she told Patch. Many of her family and friends around the Miami still have not regained power. "Let me tell you, it was strong. There were some uprooted Banyan trees."

But, fortunately Irma was no Andrew as many people had feared.

"I lived through Andrew in the Cutler Bay area," she explained. "That was just destruction."

Tim Beverly and his wife, Amanda, had a case of cabin fever on Monday so they ventured out of their Delray Beach home just a mile or two from the beach that still was closed to the public on Monday.

"We got really lucky," said Beverly, a Mercedes salesman. "I'm a native Floridian so I've been through them all. But this one was pretty big."

The couple was enjoying calamari and eggplant Pamesan outside of Vic & Angelo's on Atlantic Avenue, which was offering a limited menu. Tuesday he was heading back to work.

"We'll have to see what the dealership looks like," he said. "They did say bring casual attire."

Jamie Lesane spent the last day of his 40s on Delray's beach, which he accessed on his Schwinn Midway beach cruiser.

"The water is really awesome," said Lasane, who sells heart valves.

Patch captured these images from the day after the storm around Boca Raton and Delray Beach:

Photos by Paul Scicchitano