Residents of the southwest city of Naples were still without power, keeping some stores closed one day after Wilma barreled in from the Gulf of Mexico on its way east to the Atlantic.

Few people ventured into the city's streets covered in branches broken by Wilma's powerful winds.

One of the few stores with power was Natural Comfort Footwear, a shoe shop that re-opened Tuesday on the palm tree-lined Fifth Avenue.

"I'm ready and I hope to have customers today," said store employee Yvonne Sammelian, who is of French origin. "I had an awful day yesterday. I was afraid of losing my job."

Most stores and restaurants remained closed on the avenue, although some entrepreneurs were removing plywood that had protected their display windows. Municipal trucks picked up branches littering the streets and sidewalks.

Local authorities allowed residents and business owners to return early Tuesday. A curfew had been set overnight to curb potential looting.

Most residents had fled Naples before Wilma's arrival and police closed roads into the city after the hurricane's passage Monday to allow cleanup and rescue vehicles to do their work.

Residents in search of food Tuesday could shop at the Publix grocery store, thanks to a generator allowing the supermarket to operate its cash registers.

"People need it," said store manager Barry Sullivan.

On the opposite side of the state, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) away on the Atlantic coast, much of Miami-Dade County remained without electricity.

But downtown Miami became an oasis for anyone looking for a hot meal or cup of coffee as cafes were open after the area regained power early Tuesday.

At the Orange Bowl stadium, converted into one of 14 aid distribution centers, throngs lined up to receive ice and drinking water.

Some people complained of waiting in line for seven hours.

"We all know that sometimes things don't go perfectly, but they are fixed," said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, who was supervising the distribution of aid at the stadium.

Diaz said thousands of people had already received supplies at the stadium and that food would be available later in the day or Wednesday.

Dozens of volunteers handed water and ice to families in need.

"We had nothing at home," said Juana Rocha, originally from Nicaragua, who was picking up supplies. "This is for the children if they get thirsty, and in my house there's six of us."

North of Miami, in Broward County, more than 20 distribution centers were open and serving huge lines of people.

"Judging from the long lines, many of these folks didn't take the storm seriously," said county Mayor Kristin Jacobs.

But in Miami, Diaz said many of the people seeking aid were the poorest city residents.

"There are many cases where these are people with few means who didn't have money to buy water and ice like many of us can," he said.