Michael Death Toll climbs to 17; Continuous search for missing

At least 17 deaths were attributed to the powerful storm – eight in Florida, three in North Carolina, one in Georgia and five in Virginia.

This number is almost certain to increase in the coming days, said Joseph Zahralban, Miami Fire Chief, Associate Press, responsible for a search and rescue unit. "

(PLUS: Victims of Hurricane Michael)

Emergency officials in Florida said they have received thousands of appeals about missing persons.

Limited cell service made it difficult to find missing relatives, but public services are eager to restore service.

State emergency management officials reported Saturday that 80 percent of cell services had been re-established in the region. Service in hard-hit areas is still limited. Only 30% of Bay County residents were served Saturday morning.

Florida

Significant damage to the interior of the land: Most of Marianna and surrounding Jackson County were hit hard by Hurricane Michael, even though they are about 100 kilometers from the coast. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that the storm had torn roofs, collapsed brick facades of buildings and cut down countless trees and power lines. Electricity was cut off for all the county and the water system stopped working. Jackson County Emergency Management Director Rodney Andreasen told the Democrat that the county's 911 system had been decommissioned and the cell service was dead when cell tower generators broke down. fuel. Generators at Jackson Hospital also ran out of fuel and patients had to be transferred to Dothan, Alabama.

The owners said to stay awayThe authorities said that so many search and rescue missions were underway and that extreme damage was widespread, it was too early for the owners to return to investigate the damage. "It's still not safe to return, especially in Bay County, Florida," Long said Friday.

Reported deathsOne death was reported in Mexico Beach, Bay County. Three deaths were reported in Marianna, Jackson County, Sheriff Lou Roberts said Friday at a press conference Friday afternoon. Four people were killed in Gadsden County, Florida, according to Anglie Hightower, spokesman for the sheriff's office. One of them was Steve Sweet, 44, who died when a tree slammed into his house in Gretna.

Airdrops of food and water passes: Governor Rick Scott said Friday in a tweet that helicopters abandon the water and emergency food reserves in the cities most affected by the storm.

Psychiatric hospital cut: In the city of Chattahoochee, the Florida State Hospital, which is the largest and oldest psychiatric hospital in the state, was inaccessible as a result of Michael, according to the Miami Herald. The 975 residents and 325 staff members at the facility had enough supplies, especially after the delivery of food and water by helicopter, but the hospital lost all communication with the outside world added the report.

(PLUS: How to help the victims of Hurricane Michael)

Two hospitals in Panama City evacuate: Bay Medical Sacred Heart began evacuating patients around 3 am Thursday after the hospital was damaged by the hurricane on Wednesday. Regional Medical Center of the Gulf Coast was also damaged and started moving patients on Thursday. Both hospitals said their emergency rooms would remain open.

Major damage reported to Tyndall Air Force Base: The base, located on the other side of Panama City Bay, announced Thursday on its Facebook page that the base had suffered widespread catastrophic damage. The station also said that almost all the houses on the base were damaged by the roof. No injuries were reported. A wind gust of 129 mph was measured at the base. Base personnel had been ordered to evacuate on Monday. The Facebook posting said evacuees should plan their absence for an extended period.

Devastation in Mexico Beach: Images of Mexico Beach show widespread devastation with homes reduced to the state of ignition and roofs located in the middle of the United States 98. A storm fell on the eaves. Mayor Al Cathey, 71, told the Tampa Bay Times: "We are broken here. This devastation is beyond. I think it's obvious that we need help. "

(PICTURES: The before and after images show the devastation of Michael)

Residents of Panama City Feel Michael's Anger: Vance Beu, 29, lived with his mother in his Panama City apartment when a pine tree went through the roof. Beu said the roar of the storm resembled a jet engine as the winds accelerated. "It was terrifying, honestly, there was a lot of noise, we thought the windows were breaking at all times, we had the interior windows barricaded with mattresses," said Beu.

Apalachicola suffers great damage: Sally Crown, who survived the storm in her home, ventured after the passing of the storm. "It's absolutely horrible." Catastrophic, "she says. "There are floods, boats on the highway, a house on the highway, houses that have always been there are simply broken."

Fallen trees Capital city cityIn Tallahassee, Michael's power loss surpassed that of Hermine two years ago, according to Mayor Andrew Gillum. Almost all the city's customers were in the dark on Thursday. Gillum urged residents to be patient and optimistic about the city's revitalization. "I count our many and many blessings.This storm for us has certainly not been as bad as it could have been."

Removal of building permit fees: Leon County officials said Friday morning that all building permit fees will be removed for repairs related to the storm after the storm. Authorized owners and contractors are eligible for this special exception.

Federal disaster approved: President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster statement for the state following the storm, making federal aid available for state and local response efforts.

Georgia

Decimated Agriculture: With the current harvest, many farms in South Georgia have seen their crops ravaged by the storm. "Our worst dreams come true," Georgian Commissioner for Agriculture Gary Black told reporters on Thursday morning. Black told AJC.com that he expects losses to exceed $ 1 billion crops such as cotton, pecans and fall vegetables were being harvested.

11 year old girl killed: In southern Georgia, a girl was killed when a carport hit her home in Seminole County. The county coroner later identified him as Sarah Radney.

Many reported tornadoes: The National Meteorological Service announced that it had confirmed that three tornadoes had been spawned by Michael. A tornado EF0 shattered a few kilometers southwest of Atlanta and broke several large trees. An upmarket EF1 tornado has been shot down in Crawford County. Many trees have been knocked down or uprooted. Several houses were damaged by falling trees, the NWS said. Damage has also been discovered in Peach County, likely caused by a brief tornado, but NWS has said it wants to re-examine the radar data to confirm it.

Thousands lose powerAfter his assault on Florida, Michael's wind and rain blew over southern and central Georgia, cutting off the current and destroying trees in the southwest corner of the state. At the height of the outages, approximately 350,000 homes and businesses were without electricity.

The Carolinas

Another storm brings floods: Just weeks after the passing of Hurricane Florence, the Carolinas still suffer the effects of a tropical system. On Thursday morning, floods were reported in parts of western North Carolina after hours of heavy rains flooding rivers and streams. Several roads in Boone, North Carolina, were affected the floods on Thursday morning, the police department of the city tweeted. Governor Roy Cooper said "dozens" of people were saved from flash floods and flooded rivers, reported the newspaper News and Observer.

Three confirmed deathsA man from North Carolina was killed Thursday after a tree fell on his vehicle in Iredell County, north of Charlotte. He was later identified by WJZY-TV as Brian Cooper, 38 years old. Two others died in Marion, northeast of Asheville, when they crashed into a fallen tree. "We express our deepest sympathy to the loved ones and friends of those killed," Cooper said in a statement.

Flooded houses: Water has increased to knee height and waist in communities near Columbia, South Carolina. At least 20 people evacuated from their homes in IrmoThe state reported that more than 40 homes had water, said Ben Smith, deputy fire chief of Irmo District.

Virginia

Five deaths in the floods: At least five people died in the state Thursday night and early Friday because of floods. One of the victims was identified as Lt. Brad Clark, who died in an accident during a weather-related intervention.

Flooded roads and water rescues: At least 1,200 roads were closed and water supplies had to be cleared by Michael's rain on Thursday in southwestern and central Virginia, the National Weather Service reported, including Roanoke, Danville and the counties of Pittsylvania and Henry. Hundreds of trees were also found in Henry County. According to reports, several people have fallen into houses with people trapped inside. In Hanover County, emergency relief officials rescued a person after the fall of a tree on a house. Water supplies were also needed in Richmond.

"Once in a generation": "Yesterday was once in a generation, maybe a lifetime, a storm for #DanvilleVA, "said Danville vice-mayor Lee Vogler, in an article posted Friday morning on Facebook.

7 confirmed tornadoes: James City County tweeted On Friday, the National Meteorological Service had confirmed that an EF-1 tornado had affected the Norge region. According to the tweet, 32 homes were damaged and no one was injured. Officials estimate that the damage would be $ 1.8 million. Six other tornadoes, all rated EF-0, were confirmed by the National Meteorological Service.

6th largest power outage: Dominion Energy says Michael caused the 6th power outage in the history of the company. Saturday, more than 100,000 customers remained without electricity, reports the Virginian-Pilot. At one point, more than 600,000 customers were affected by the storm.

– The information from the Associated Press has been used in this report.