CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Cedar Key was hit hard by Hurricane Idalia and remains closed to everyone except those who have passes to get onto the island.

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Trucks are everywhere in Cedar Key along with the debris piles.

“I’m not going to say (I’m) happy; you can’t be happy about anything like this,” resident Mike Hodges said. “But I was actually pleasantly surprised by the lack of damage.”

READ: ‘I lost everything’: Crystal River residents reeling from Hurricane Idalia

Hodges was luckier than some. Elsewhere, docks vanished and doors, windows and sides of buildings were torn clean off.

Power restoration comes and goes, and nobody has water.

READ: Recovery efforts continue as weakened Idalia moves into Atlantic

Hodges still hasn’t checked on the clam beds that pay his bills, and give Cedar Key its nickname.

“I don’t know what I’m going to face out there,” he said. “We always hope for the best but I’m sure I’m going to have some damage.”

READ: Hurricane Idalia: Tips to avoid post-storm scams

VIDEO: ‘I lost everything’: Crystal River residents reeling from Hurricane Idalia Some residents in Crystal River reported at least two feet of water in their homes following Hurricane Idalia. (WFTV)

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