Thursday, October 11, 2018

Mexico Beach is 'wiped out' by Hurricane Michael

  • Rescue personnel perform a search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Floirda, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018.

begin quote from:Mexico Beach, Florida, now looks like an apocalyptic mess after Hurricane Michael rips through the coastal community

LIVE UPDATES I saw cars floating by my window, resident says

Bird's-eye view: Aerial footage shows catastrophic damage

Inside the eye wall: See the perfect calm in eye of hurricane 

'Nothing left here': Residents begin difficult task of cleaning up

Storm tracker: Here's where Michael is headed

Devastation: Side-by-side images before and after storm hit

Search for loved ones: Family has gone quiet since storm hit

Mexico Beach is 'wiped out' by Hurricane Michael as other Florida cities are smashed

By Holly Yan, Christina Maxouris and Nicole Chavez, CNN
Updated 1:20 PM ET, Thu October 11, 2018
Tropical storm moves to the Carolinas
Current Time0:55
/
Duration Time1:49
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
 
Are you affected by Hurricane Michael? Text, iMessage or WhatsApp your videos, photos and stories to CNN when it's safe: 347-322-0415
(CNN)What used to be a gorgeous beachfront city now looks like an apocalyptic mess after Hurricane Michael shredded Mexico Beach, Florida.
"Mexico Beach was wiped out," said Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "That's probably ground zero."
Much of Mexico Beach is in ruins Thursday after Michael's landfall a day earlier.
Much of Mexico Beach is in ruins Thursday after Michael's landfall a day earlier.
Michael made landfall Wednesday near Mexico Beach as monstrous Category 4 hurricane, annihilating homes with its 155-mph winds.
"First the cars started (floating) by, and all the debris was in the air," Mexico Beach resident Scott said. "When the water came in, houses started floating in front of our home."
    He spoke with CNN's Brooke Baldwin live on air Thursday, in front of a home that was pushed onto its side.
    "All the homes that are on this side of the road at the beach, they're all gone," Scott said.
    "When we got back to the house ... we had furniture in our house that wasn't our furniture. The surge had brought stuff in so bad, the walls collapsed -- the only thing I could find of ours was my briefcase.
    "Our lives are gone here, all the stores all the restaurants, everything, there's nothing left here anymore."
    Kathy Coy looks at the remains of her Panama City home Thursday after Hurricane Michael destroyed it.
    Kathy Coy looks at the remains of her Panama City home Thursday after Hurricane Michael destroyed it.
    Other catastrophic scenes are emerging across the Florida Panhandle, where Michael left more than 350,000 without power and entire neighborhoods in ruins.
    In the decimated city of Callaway, pieces of obliterated houses litter rain-drenched roads. Every telephone pole in sight has snapped in half.
    "It's very hard to explain," said Jason Gunderson, a member of the Cajun Navy rescue group. "The only way I can explain it, through my eyeballs, is a Third World country war zone."
    Residents said almost all homes in a Panama City mobile home park were damaged.
    Residents said almost all homes in a Panama City mobile home park were damaged.
    The storm has already killed a man in Florida and a girl in Georgia. And as rescue workers sift through the debris Thursday, many fear the death toll will rise.
    After slamming Florida and lashing Georgia, Michael is now threatening the storm-weary Carolinas. Tornadoes, dangerous winds and more flooding are possible in many of the same areas still recovering from Hurricane Florence.
    Michael is expected to dump 4 to 7 inches of rain from eastern Georgia to the southern mid-Atlantic and up to 9 inches of rain in parts of North Carolina and Virginia, the National Hurricane Center said.
    Track the storm

    Key developments

    People make their way through a building's wreckage in Panama City on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    People make their way through a building's wreckage in Panama City on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    26 of 51
    The powerful hurricane left houses battered in Panama City Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    The powerful hurricane left houses battered in Panama City Beach.
    Hide Caption
    27 of 51
    Phlomena Telker stands on the remains of her covered porch in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Phlomena Telker stands on the remains of her covered porch in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    28 of 51
    Boats are damaged at the Port St. Joe Marina in the Florida Panhandle.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Boats are damaged at the Port St. Joe Marina in the Florida Panhandle.
    Hide Caption
    29 of 51
    Lenora Adams evacuates a motel with her dog as the hurricane comes ashore in Panacea, Florida, on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Lenora Adams evacuates a motel with her dog as the hurricane comes ashore in Panacea, Florida, on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    30 of 51
    Rick Tesk, left, helps a business owner rescue his dogs from a damaged business in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Rick Tesk, left, helps a business owner rescue his dogs from a damaged business in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    31 of 51
    Wrecked boats sit near a pier in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Wrecked boats sit near a pier in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    32 of 51
    A resident of St. Marks, Florida, pulls a cooler out of the floodwaters near his home.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A resident of St. Marks, Florida, pulls a cooler out of the floodwaters near his home.
    Hide Caption
    33 of 51
    Pine trees litter a yard in Port St. Joe.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Pine trees litter a yard in Port St. Joe.
    Hide Caption
    34 of 51
    Streets begin to flood as high tide approaches in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Streets begin to flood as high tide approaches in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    35 of 51
    Mike Lindsey stands in his Panama City antique shop after it was damaged by Hurricane Michael on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Mike Lindsey stands in his Panama City antique shop after it was damaged by Hurricane Michael on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    36 of 51
    Trees lie on top of a home in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Trees lie on top of a home in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    37 of 51
    Bo Lynn's Market is flooded in St. Marks, Florida, on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Bo Lynn's Market is flooded in St. Marks, Florida, on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    38 of 51
    A truck drives along a road in Alligator Point, Florida, that had been washed out by the storm on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A truck drives along a road in Alligator Point, Florida, that had been washed out by the storm on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    39 of 51
    Waves hit a house in Alligator Point on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Waves hit a house in Alligator Point on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    40 of 51
    The eye of the storm, as seen from the International Space Station on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    The eye of the storm, as seen from the International Space Station on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    41 of 51
    A woman checks on her vehicle after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A woman checks on her vehicle after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach.
    Hide Caption
    42 of 51
    Mitchell Pope tries to salvage what he can from his mobile home in St. Marks.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Mitchell Pope tries to salvage what he can from his mobile home in St. Marks.
    Hide Caption
    43 of 51
    This boat ran aground at Florida's Quietwater Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    This boat ran aground at Florida's Quietwater Beach.
    Hide Caption
    44 of 51
    Jayden Morgan, 11, evacuates his home as water starts to flood his neighborhood in St. Marks.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Jayden Morgan, 11, evacuates his home as water starts to flood his neighborhood in St. Marks.
    Hide Caption
    45 of 51
    A person takes pictures of the surf and fishing pier on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A person takes pictures of the surf and fishing pier on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
    Hide Caption
    46 of 51
    Emily Hindle lies on the floor at an evacuation shelter set up at a Panama City Beach high school on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Emily Hindle lies on the floor at an evacuation shelter set up at a Panama City Beach high school on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    47 of 51
    Kathy Eaton takes what she can from her Panama City Beach home as she tries to get out of the way of the storm on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kathy Eaton takes what she can from her Panama City Beach home as she tries to get out of the way of the storm on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    48 of 51
    Justin Davis, left, and Brock Mclean board up a business in Destin, Florida, on Tuesday, October 9.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Justin Davis, left, and Brock Mclean board up a business in Destin, Florida, on Tuesday, October 9.
    Hide Caption
    49 of 51
    Krystal Day, left, leads a sandbag assembly line at the Old Port Cove restaurant in Ozello, Florida, on October 9.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Krystal Day, left, leads a sandbag assembly line at the Old Port Cove restaurant in Ozello, Florida, on October 9.
    Hide Caption
    50 of 51
    Workers scramble to store boats at Shields Marina in St. Marks.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Workers scramble to store boats at Shields Marina in St. Marks.
    Hide Caption
    51 of 51
    Storm-damaged boats are piled up in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday, October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Storm-damaged boats are piled up in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday, October 11.
    Hide Caption
    1 of 51
    Joyce Fox stands in front of her heavily damaged home in Panama City on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Joyce Fox stands in front of her heavily damaged home in Panama City on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    2 of 51
    A boat sits amidst debris in Mexico Beach on October 11. The small Florida beach resort saw the brunt of Michael, authorities say.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A boat sits amidst debris in Mexico Beach on October 11. The small Florida beach resort saw the brunt of Michael, authorities say.
    Hide Caption
    3 of 51
    Kylie Strampe holds her 4-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage in Callaway, Florida, on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kylie Strampe holds her 4-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage in Callaway, Florida, on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    4 of 51
    Amanda Logsdon faces a heavy cleanup task at her Panama City house on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Amanda Logsdon faces a heavy cleanup task at her Panama City house on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    5 of 51
    Rescue personnel search Mexico Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Rescue personnel search Mexico Beach.
    Hide Caption
    6 of 51
    A tree sits on top of a Panama City mobile home. Almost all the residents of the mobile-home park rode out the storm. All homes were damaged except one.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A tree sits on top of a Panama City mobile home. Almost all the residents of the mobile-home park rode out the storm. All homes were damaged except one.
    Hide Caption
    7 of 51
    Kathy Coy stands among what is left of her home in Panama City. She said she was in the home when it was blown apart and is thankful to be alive.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kathy Coy stands among what is left of her home in Panama City. She said she was in the home when it was blown apart and is thankful to be alive.
    Hide Caption
    8 of 51
    People pass a destroyed home in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    People pass a destroyed home in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    9 of 51
    The view from a Panama City hotel room that lost a wall in the storm.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    The view from a Panama City hotel room that lost a wall in the storm.
    Hide Caption
    10 of 51
    Firefighter Austin Schlarb performs a door-to-door search in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Firefighter Austin Schlarb performs a door-to-door search in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    11 of 51
    Damaged buildings are seen in Panama City on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Damaged buildings are seen in Panama City on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    12 of 51
    Debris is scattered in Mexico Beach early on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Debris is scattered in Mexico Beach early on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    13 of 51
    Wreckage is piled up in Mexico Beach, near where Michael made landfall.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Wreckage is piled up in Mexico Beach, near where Michael made landfall.
    Hide Caption
    14 of 51
    Debris burns in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Debris burns in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    15 of 51
    Haley Nelson inspects damage at her family properties in the Panama City, Florida, area on Wednesday, October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Haley Nelson inspects damage at her family properties in the Panama City, Florida, area on Wednesday, October 10.
    Hide Caption
    16 of 51
    Cars are tossed among the debris in Mexico Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Cars are tossed among the debris in Mexico Beach.
    Hide Caption
    17 of 51
    Kaylee O'Brian cries inside her Panama City home after several trees fell on it on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kaylee O'Brian cries inside her Panama City home after several trees fell on it on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    18 of 51
    Floodwaters overwhelm vehicles in Panama City on Wednesday, October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Floodwaters overwhelm vehicles in Panama City on Wednesday, October 10.
    Hide Caption
    19 of 51
    A storm chaser climbs into his vehicle to retrieve equipment after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A storm chaser climbs into his vehicle to retrieve equipment after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    20 of 51
    A helicopter circles a Panama City neighborhood in the storm's wake on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A helicopter circles a Panama City neighborhood in the storm's wake on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    21 of 51
    A woman and her children wait near a destroyed gas station in Panama City on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A woman and her children wait near a destroyed gas station in Panama City on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    22 of 51
    A McDonald's sign is mangled in Panama City on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A McDonald's sign is mangled in Panama City on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    23 of 51
    Boats are left damaged in a Panama City marina on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Boats are left damaged in a Panama City marina on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    24 of 51
    Panama City residents comfort each other at an apartment building in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Panama City residents comfort each other at an apartment building in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    25 of 51
    People make their way through a building's wreckage in Panama City on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    People make their way through a building's wreckage in Panama City on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    26 of 51
    The powerful hurricane left houses battered in Panama City Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    The powerful hurricane left houses battered in Panama City Beach.
    Hide Caption
    27 of 51
    Phlomena Telker stands on the remains of her covered porch in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Phlomena Telker stands on the remains of her covered porch in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    28 of 51
    Boats are damaged at the Port St. Joe Marina in the Florida Panhandle.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Boats are damaged at the Port St. Joe Marina in the Florida Panhandle.
    Hide Caption
    29 of 51
    Lenora Adams evacuates a motel with her dog as the hurricane comes ashore in Panacea, Florida, on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Lenora Adams evacuates a motel with her dog as the hurricane comes ashore in Panacea, Florida, on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    30 of 51
    Rick Tesk, left, helps a business owner rescue his dogs from a damaged business in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Rick Tesk, left, helps a business owner rescue his dogs from a damaged business in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    31 of 51
    Wrecked boats sit near a pier in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Wrecked boats sit near a pier in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    32 of 51
    A resident of St. Marks, Florida, pulls a cooler out of the floodwaters near his home.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A resident of St. Marks, Florida, pulls a cooler out of the floodwaters near his home.
    Hide Caption
    33 of 51
    Pine trees litter a yard in Port St. Joe.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Pine trees litter a yard in Port St. Joe.
    Hide Caption
    34 of 51
    Streets begin to flood as high tide approaches in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Streets begin to flood as high tide approaches in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    35 of 51
    Mike Lindsey stands in his Panama City antique shop after it was damaged by Hurricane Michael on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Mike Lindsey stands in his Panama City antique shop after it was damaged by Hurricane Michael on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    36 of 51
    Trees lie on top of a home in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Trees lie on top of a home in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    37 of 51
    Bo Lynn's Market is flooded in St. Marks, Florida, on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Bo Lynn's Market is flooded in St. Marks, Florida, on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    38 of 51
    A truck drives along a road in Alligator Point, Florida, that had been washed out by the storm on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A truck drives along a road in Alligator Point, Florida, that had been washed out by the storm on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    39 of 51
    Waves hit a house in Alligator Point on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Waves hit a house in Alligator Point on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    40 of 51
    The eye of the storm, as seen from the International Space Station on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    The eye of the storm, as seen from the International Space Station on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    41 of 51
    A woman checks on her vehicle after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A woman checks on her vehicle after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach.
    Hide Caption
    42 of 51
    Mitchell Pope tries to salvage what he can from his mobile home in St. Marks.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Mitchell Pope tries to salvage what he can from his mobile home in St. Marks.
    Hide Caption
    43 of 51
    This boat ran aground at Florida's Quietwater Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    This boat ran aground at Florida's Quietwater Beach.
    Hide Caption
    44 of 51
    Jayden Morgan, 11, evacuates his home as water starts to flood his neighborhood in St. Marks.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Jayden Morgan, 11, evacuates his home as water starts to flood his neighborhood in St. Marks.
    Hide Caption
    45 of 51
    A person takes pictures of the surf and fishing pier on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A person takes pictures of the surf and fishing pier on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
    Hide Caption
    46 of 51
    Emily Hindle lies on the floor at an evacuation shelter set up at a Panama City Beach high school on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Emily Hindle lies on the floor at an evacuation shelter set up at a Panama City Beach high school on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    47 of 51
    Kathy Eaton takes what she can from her Panama City Beach home as she tries to get out of the way of the storm on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kathy Eaton takes what she can from her Panama City Beach home as she tries to get out of the way of the storm on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    48 of 51
    Justin Davis, left, and Brock Mclean board up a business in Destin, Florida, on Tuesday, October 9.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Justin Davis, left, and Brock Mclean board up a business in Destin, Florida, on Tuesday, October 9.
    Hide Caption
    49 of 51
    Krystal Day, left, leads a sandbag assembly line at the Old Port Cove restaurant in Ozello, Florida, on October 9.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Krystal Day, left, leads a sandbag assembly line at the Old Port Cove restaurant in Ozello, Florida, on October 9.
    Hide Caption
    50 of 51
    Workers scramble to store boats at Shields Marina in St. Marks.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Workers scramble to store boats at Shields Marina in St. Marks.
    Hide Caption
    51 of 51
    Storm-damaged boats are piled up in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday, October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Storm-damaged boats are piled up in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday, October 11.
    Hide Caption
    1 of 51
    Joyce Fox stands in front of her heavily damaged home in Panama City on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Joyce Fox stands in front of her heavily damaged home in Panama City on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    2 of 51
    A boat sits amidst debris in Mexico Beach on October 11. The small Florida beach resort saw the brunt of Michael, authorities say.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A boat sits amidst debris in Mexico Beach on October 11. The small Florida beach resort saw the brunt of Michael, authorities say.
    Hide Caption
    3 of 51
    Kylie Strampe holds her 4-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage in Callaway, Florida, on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kylie Strampe holds her 4-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage in Callaway, Florida, on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    4 of 51
    Amanda Logsdon faces a heavy cleanup task at her Panama City house on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Amanda Logsdon faces a heavy cleanup task at her Panama City house on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    5 of 51
    Rescue personnel search Mexico Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Rescue personnel search Mexico Beach.
    Hide Caption
    6 of 51
    A tree sits on top of a Panama City mobile home. Almost all the residents of the mobile-home park rode out the storm. All homes were damaged except one.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A tree sits on top of a Panama City mobile home. Almost all the residents of the mobile-home park rode out the storm. All homes were damaged except one.
    Hide Caption
    7 of 51
    Kathy Coy stands among what is left of her home in Panama City. She said she was in the home when it was blown apart and is thankful to be alive.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kathy Coy stands among what is left of her home in Panama City. She said she was in the home when it was blown apart and is thankful to be alive.
    Hide Caption
    8 of 51
    People pass a destroyed home in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    People pass a destroyed home in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    9 of 51
    The view from a Panama City hotel room that lost a wall in the storm.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    The view from a Panama City hotel room that lost a wall in the storm.
    Hide Caption
    10 of 51
    Firefighter Austin Schlarb performs a door-to-door search in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Firefighter Austin Schlarb performs a door-to-door search in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    11 of 51
    Damaged buildings are seen in Panama City on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Damaged buildings are seen in Panama City on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    12 of 51
    Debris is scattered in Mexico Beach early on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Debris is scattered in Mexico Beach early on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    13 of 51
    Wreckage is piled up in Mexico Beach, near where Michael made landfall.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Wreckage is piled up in Mexico Beach, near where Michael made landfall.
    Hide Caption
    14 of 51
    Debris burns in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Debris burns in Mexico Beach on October 11.
    Hide Caption
    15 of 51
    Haley Nelson inspects damage at her family properties in the Panama City, Florida, area on Wednesday, October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Haley Nelson inspects damage at her family properties in the Panama City, Florida, area on Wednesday, October 10.
    Hide Caption
    16 of 51
    Cars are tossed among the debris in Mexico Beach.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Cars are tossed among the debris in Mexico Beach.
    Hide Caption
    17 of 51
    Kaylee O'Brian cries inside her Panama City home after several trees fell on it on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Kaylee O'Brian cries inside her Panama City home after several trees fell on it on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    18 of 51
    Floodwaters overwhelm vehicles in Panama City on Wednesday, October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Floodwaters overwhelm vehicles in Panama City on Wednesday, October 10.
    Hide Caption
    19 of 51
    A storm chaser climbs into his vehicle to retrieve equipment after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A storm chaser climbs into his vehicle to retrieve equipment after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    20 of 51
    A helicopter circles a Panama City neighborhood in the storm's wake on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A helicopter circles a Panama City neighborhood in the storm's wake on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    21 of 51
    A woman and her children wait near a destroyed gas station in Panama City on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A woman and her children wait near a destroyed gas station in Panama City on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    22 of 51
    A McDonald's sign is mangled in Panama City on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    A McDonald's sign is mangled in Panama City on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    23 of 51
    Boats are left damaged in a Panama City marina on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Boats are left damaged in a Panama City marina on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    24 of 51
    Panama City residents comfort each other at an apartment building in Panama City.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    Panama City residents comfort each other at an apartment building in Panama City.
    Hide Caption
    25 of 51
    People make their way through a building's wreckage in Panama City on October 10.
    Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle
    People make their way through a building's wreckage in Panama City on October 10.
    Hide Caption
    26 of 51
    30 hurricane michael 1011
    22 hurricane michael 1011
    26 hurricane michael 1011
    29 hurricane michael 1011
    13 hurricane michael 1011
    28 hurricane michael 1011
    09 hurricane michael 1011
    25 hurricane michael 1011
    14 hurricane michael 1011
    24 hurricane michael 1011
    27 hurricane michael 1011
    23 hurricane michael 1011
    12 hurricane michael 1011
    16 hurricane michael 1011
    17 hurricane michael 1011
    01 hurricane matthew 1010
    19 hurricane michael 1011
    01 hurricane michael 1011
    03 hurricane michael 1011
    15 hurricane michael 1010
    08 hurricane michael 1011
    22 hurricane michael 1010
    02 hurricane michael 1011
    05 hurricane michael 1011
    29 hurricane michael 1010 RESTRICTED
    06 hurricane michael 1011
    30 hurricane michael 1010 RESTRICTED
    04 hurricane michael 1011
    20 hurricane michael 1011
    24 hurricane michael 1010
    23 hurricane michael 1010
    21 hurricane michael 1010 panama city
    19 hurricane michael 1010
    20 hurricane michael 1010
    18 hurricane michael 1010
    18 hurricane michael 1010 panama city
    19 hurricane michael 1010 panama city
    17 hurricane michael 1010
    07 hurricane michael 1010
    08 hurricane michael 1010
    12 hurricane michael 1010
    13 hurricane michael 1010
    06 hurricane michael 1010
    10 hurricane michael 1010
    16 hurricane michael 1010
    09 hurricane michael 1010
    05 hurricane michael 1010
    04 hurricane michael 1010
    01 hurricane michael 1010
    02 hurricane michael 1010
    03 hurricane michael 1010
    • Interstate 10 is closed: All lanes of I-10 between mile marker 85 to mile marker 166 in Florida are closed due to debris, Florida authorities said Thursday.
    • No power, no internet: More than 486,000 customers don't have electricity in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.
    • Where is Michael? As of Thursday morning, the storm was centered about 40 miles west-northwest of Columbia, South Carolina, and is headed northeast.

    School that helped during Hurricane Maria is now destroyed

    Hurricane Michael ripped off walls from Jinks Middle School in Panama City, Florida.
    Hurricane Michael ripped off walls from Jinks Middle School in Panama City, Florida.
    The students and staff at Jinks Middle School have dealt with disaster before. Last year, they welcomed children who were displaced by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
    Hurricane Michael
    This time, the Panama City school was ripped apart by Michael. The debris-covered floor of the school's gymnasium is now visible from the sky.
    Principal Britt Smith choked up as he looked at images of the decimated building.
    "You can't make sense of it, but what you do is you take the situation, and what we have to make certain that our kids know is that we must be resilient," Smith said.
    "Resiliency is important, and it's an important life message that we all have to learn. ... But at this point, there's really no making sense. It's just how do we get together, how do we recover?"

    'I just need to know he's OK'

    Uprooted trees, downed power poles and limited communications have greatly hindered first responders and families trying to reach residents in need.
    Dorian Carter searches for his missing cat after several trees fell on his Panama City home Wednesday.
    Dorian Carter searches for his missing cat after several trees fell on his Panama City home Wednesday.
    Megan McCall says her brother Jeff and his family were riding out the storm in the Panhandle. No one has heard from them since Wednesday afternoon.
    Her brother was able to tell a friend that his home was starting to get cracks in the walls and water was rushing in Wednesday. A neighbor told McCall that all the docks in the area were destroyed and many people are stuck in their homes as the roads have been blocked with debris.
    "I just need to know he's OK," McCall said. "If the house and the cars are destroyed they can be replaced, but my niece needs her dad -- and as much as I sometimes can't stand him, I would do anything to just know he's OK."
    In Wakulla County, the sheriff's office made a list of people who decided to ride out the storm and will check on them Thursday, sheriff's captain Chris Savary said.

    Fallen debris kill 2 people

    How to stay safe after Hurricane Michael
    How to stay safe after Hurricane Michael
    In Seminole County, Georgia, a metal carport hoisted by the wind crashed through a roof, hitting a girl's head, the county's emergency management director Travis Brooks said.
    Several hours passed before emergency officials could reach the unincorporated area where the girl was killed, Brooks said.
    And in Greensboro, Florida, a man died Wednesday after a tree fell on a home, the local sheriff's office said.
    FEMA's Long said he's worried the number of deaths will rise Thursday.
    "Hopefully they don't, but those numbers could climb as search and rescue teams get out," he said.

    Effect of climate change

    Michael's strength may reflect the effect of climate change on storms. The planet has warmed significantly over the past several decades, causing changes in the environment.
    Hurricane Michael isn't truly a 'natural disaster'
    Hurricane Michael isn't truly a 'natural disaster'
    Human-caused greenhouse gases in the atmosphere create an energy imbalance, with more than 90% of remaining heat trapped by the gases going into the oceans, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. There's evidence of higher sea surface temperature and atmospheric moisture, experts say.
      While we might not get more storms in a warmer climate, most studies show storms will get stronger and produce more rain. Storm surge is worse now than it was 100 years ago, thanks to the rise in sea levels.
      According to Climate Central, a scientific research organization, the coming decades are expected to bring hurricanes that intensify more rapidly, should there be no change in the rate of greenhouse gas emissions.
      CNN's Jason Hanna, Emanuella Grinberg, AnneClaire Stapleton, Michael Guy and Amanda Watts contributed to this report.
      Posted by at
      Labels:

      No comments:

      Post a Comment

      Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)