Dramatic photos show how deadly Hurricane Milton reshaped the Florida coastline — with some sections of iconic beaches now split in half.
The startling images show the newly shifted coastlines of Sanibel and Captiva islands just off the coast of Cape Coral after Mother Nature’s destruction.
“As storms like Milton move ashore, they’re pumping sand and water much further inland than what we’re used to. But because there’s been so much storm surge, as things start to recede, everything starts to reverse and get pushed back out,” Fox Forecast Center meteorologist Cody Braud told The Post.
Satellite images of Sanibel Island appear to show plumes of brown and white along the coastline, but the areas are actually just sand, dirt and sediment that is getting redeposited back into the gulf, Braud explained.
Sand shifting around along the coast is typical for storms, according to Braud, who noted the brownish hues visible on the images are normal considering the sheer amount of dirt getting moved around in the storms.
“Just looking at the coastline, it looks like they’ve gained a little bit more sand in that region, which makes sense because they’ve had back-to-back storms, Helena and Milton, which have been pushing that sand further inland,” Braud said.
“You’re likely going to see not too much erosion, but you are getting kind of an enhancement along the shorelines because so much sand has been lifted up off the bottom,” Braud added.
Images also show some splits in some of Florida’s iconic beaches, which can be attributed to the water rushing back into the gulf after the storms.
“As the water drains out, it may cut a new channel,” Braud said. “As the water moves out, it tries to find any way possible to navigate out.”
The dramatic images of Florida’s new shoreline come after experts warned Milton could change the state’s shape for good — as it was predicted about 95 percent of Sunshine State beaches would be inundated by water in the storm.
“This is the most severe level of coastal change,” the US Geological Survey warned — while saying that “Milton’s waves and surge” could cause “erosion and overwash” to 100% of the state’s beaches.
Officials with the agency warned that the potential for erosion after Milton was high as communities were more vulnerable due to the erosion that occurred recently from Helene.
Hurricane Milton joined a long list of destructive storms that have changed the Florida coastline, including Hurricanes Ian, Irma, Matthew and Michael.