A Year After Hurricane Michael, Florida County Still Reeling from Devastation

One year after Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Florida Panhandle, Bay County remains in crisis mode. The Category 5 storm brought unimaginable destruction to the area, leaving thousands of residents without homes, medical care, and housing at a premium. Domestic violence has become a problem, and mental health services are overwhelmed with backlogs.

The storm's impact is still being felt across the region, with many communities struggling to recover from the devastation. According to state officials, only 285 residents of Mexico Beach were able to withstand the mandatory evacuation orders and stay in their homes when Michael hit. The town was all but decimated by the storm, with entire rows of houses reduced to splinters and beached boats scattered among the wreckage.

The trauma caused by Hurricane Michael is still being felt by many locals who emerged from shelter on Thursday to find a scene that was virtually unrecognizable as their coastal home. 'It's like a war zone,' said Mishelle McPherson, who searched in vain for her friend's missing elderly mother amid the debris-strewn streets.

The death toll from Hurricane Michael has climbed to at least 26, with four people killed in Florida's Gadsden County and an 11-year-old girl in Georgia among those who lost their lives. The storm also caused severe damage to homes, infrastructure, and businesses across the region, with some areas still without power or basic services.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, Bay County is struggling to rebuild and recover from the devastation. While progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to restore the community to its former state. As Florida Gov. Rick Scott noted, 'So many lives have been changed forever.'

The full extent of the damage left in Michael's wake is still not fully understood, but one thing is clear: Hurricane Michael was an absolute monster that will take a long time to recover from.

Michael hurricane aftermath