Last Friday, after Hurricane Ian passed through Florida, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake, our deputy art directer Hannah Phillips ventured out to take photos of the damage.

While Sarasota was spared a direct hit, the damage in the south of the county, in particular, is catastrophic. Ian leveled the Holiday Park mobile home community in North Port and flooded much of the city. It damaged the historic Venice Theatre building. And throughout the entire region it, closed schools, uprooted trees, cut off power and strew debris everywhere.

"It was like a war zone," says Phillips, who lives in Nokomis and weathered the storm in Venice. "I feel so lucky that I still have a home. My heart breaks for people who lost everything."

These photos are a snapshot of the damage to Sarasota County. To volunteer or make a donation to those in need, click here.