Bruce McGarey awoke to what sounded like a gunshot at his Seidenberg Avenue home Tuesday night.

"My neighbor saw it and called, said, 'You'd better get out here,' " McGarey said Wednesday.

High winds from Hurricane Ike felled a 50-year-old frangipani tree in McGarey's yard, missing his car by a foot.

Similar incidents occurred throughout the Florida Keys, but Monroe County officials reported minimal damage and no deaths or serious injuries from the Category 2 storm brushing by the island chain on its westward march. Residents and tourists can expect a return to "normal Keys weather" by this afternoon and Friday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill South.

High winds were expected to cease Wednesday night, with the sun starting to re-emerge amid partly cloudy skies by today, as highs climb back into the upper 80s, South said. A 40 percent chance of rain remains throughout the Keys for today and Friday.

"There were a couple of trees down and power lines, but nothing really major," said Key West Manager Jim Scholl. "Nothing we and Keys Energy [Services] couldn't respond to."

In the Upper Keys, the Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission continued their airborne search for 45-year-old William Mark Adair of Bonita Springs, who was reported missing Sunday from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.

It remained unclear to investigators whether the disappearance of Adair and his boat was related to Hurricane Ike, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson.

Elsewhere, it was business as usual for many Keys businesses, as road crews worked to clear South Roosevelt Boulevard of sand, seaweed and other storm-related debris into Wednesday evening.

The usual low-lying areas flooded as predicted along Atlantic Boulevard and the southern ends of Duval, Reynolds and Whitehead streets. Portions of those roads remained closed as city and Florida Department of Transportation crews worked to clear 150 truckloads of seaweed from beaches and roads, said Annalise Mannix, Key West manager of engineering services and environmental programs.

Key West officials estimated that Ike displaced about 5,000 tons of sand from oceanside beaches, she said, adding that residents should allow the city about 30 days to get new sand to all the affected areas.

Law enforcement and fire departments throughout the Keys reported no significant incidents, according to Key West police and Monroe County spokeswoman Becky Herrin.

Keys Energy Services reported no power outages as of Wednesday evening.

One sign that things were quickly getting back to normal Wednesday was the towing of cars around town. Drivers who parked their cars in the drive-through at the Bank of America on Flagler Avenue were towed early Wednesday.

"We're not trying to be ugly and we understand issues facing everyone when a storm hits," said bank manager Kris Wilson, "but we're trying to reopen for business." The bank was expected to reopen today.

Monroe County Director of Public Works Dent Pierce was out checking piers on Higgs Beach and elsewhere in the county and reported no major damage.

"Well, it's hard to tell with the waves still cresting, but overall I'd say things are looking OK," Pierce said. "We might have to refresh some screws, but that's about it."

Over on Boca Chica Key, military families from Naval Air Station Key West who evacuated to Orlando were ordered to come back to work today.

Residents were asked to check Key West and Monroe County Web sites for updates about trash pickup and other cleanup-related issues.

One sure sign officials are ready to get back to normal: The Monroe County Tourist Development Council was preparing to launch an advertising campaign today, aimed at luring tourists back to the Keys. The council is buying radio time at stations in West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and Naples, called "Summer Ain't Over 'Til We Say It's Over," as well as a quarter-page ad in USA Today that begins, "They just sounded the all clear, so come on down."

alinhardt@keysnews.com