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See the wreckage left behind the third strongest hurricane to ever hit the continental U.S.
USA TODAY
Mike Lindsey, 73, left, inspects the wreckage of the roof of his wife's antique store in downtown Panama City, Fla., Early Oct. 11, 2018, watched by his-in-law Chris Allen, 48. Downtown Panama City was particularly Hard hit when Michael Hurricane made landfall on Oct. 10, 2018.(Photo: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY)
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The most powerful hurricane on record to hit Florida 's Panhandle left destruction and death in its path Thursday, the Carolinas and Virginia.
Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday about 20 miles southeast of here with historic, 155-mph heavy winds, violent waves and sideways rain. Seven people were reported killed in the storm: five in Florida, one in Georgia and one in North Carolina.
Thursday, seaside town was revealed.
The sugar-sand beaches were debris when the storm raged – and the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico – finally receded. Two hospitals were evacuated. Swaths of homes were destroyed, power lines snapped like toothpicks, cars and trucks flipped and smashed.
It will be fully restored and fully restored.
Chris Allen, 48, said, "It's going to be a bomb gone off."
In Panama City, the Forest Park neighborhoods namesake pine trees turned into destructive sledgehammers during the storm, crushing cars, roofs and outbuildings.
"Panama Beach resident Peter Muller said, referring to riding out the storm. "The scope of the damage is absolutely mind boggling. It's like a war zone or something out of a horror movie. "
Thousands of homes and businesses were blown away by the Florida Panhandle and roared with hurricane force into Georgia.
The damage was astonishing. Aerial views showed all neighborhoods wiped out. An 80-mile stretch of debris-strewn Interstate 10 West of Tallahassee was shut down.
Beaches disappeared, military bases were damaged, boats were slammed into houses and trees were mowed down like lawns. Power outages affected more than 1 million customers: North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, according to PowerOutage.US, a website that tracks power ups nationwide.
more: Hurricane Michael: What you need to know in graphics
more: In a harrowing two hours, Hurricane Michael devastates Panama City
The Federal Emergency Management Agency warned that some areas could be without power for weeks.
"So many lives have been changed forever," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said. "So many families have lost everything. … This hurricane was an absolute monster. "
The region was in search-and-rescue and National Guard members fanned out to help. A helicopter crew pulled out of the roof, the Coast Guard said. The rescue was among dozens by the agency, which was conducted for survivors.
"One hundred percent of our focus is on rescue and recovery from this devastating storm," Scott said.
In Panama City, Sacred Heart Medical Center Bay had roof, structural and water damage. Michael left substantial broken glass, caused cooling and plumbing issues and knocked out information systems.
"Even with these challenges, we are committed to providing emergency medical services to our campuses," hospital CEO Scott Campbell said.
By late afternoon Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said Michael was centered about 20 miles north-northwest of Raleigh, North Carolina. It has been blasted with 50 percent of the time.
Authorities confirmed seven deaths, and the number was likely to rise. Five people died in Florida, including four in Gadsden County. An 11-year-old in Seminole County, Georgia, was reported dead early Thursday morning after a tree fell on a home during the storm. A man died in North Carolina on Thursday.
Parts of North Carolina, still recovering from the relics of Hurricane Florence in September, were cited by the Weather Prediction Center.
"For North Carolina, Michael is not bad in Florence, but it adds unwelcome insult to injury," Gov. Roy Cooper said. "So we must be on alert."
In this seaside town, Jane Lindsey, 72, took no chances.
Lindsey and her husband, the Elegant Endeavors Antique Emporium on Harrison Avenue. The wind is going down the roof, and it's going down the drain.
"We've never seen this kind of devastation," Lindsey said. "It's such a loss for all these families, for all these small businesses."
Lindsay was so worried about her husband and wife, "We do not even know if we have a house left."
Police officers dealing with patrolling the area and responding to calls for assistance, making do with damaged patrol cars. The air smells like a sawmill, a legacy of the shredded trees.
Federal officials are prepared with tarps for thousands of roofed-down homes. Thousands of contractors are set to replace utility poles and strings.
Panama City and Panama City Beach are heavily dependent on tourism. About 17 million visitors themselves on the 27 miles of soft sand beaches. Officials are optimistic they can be up and running again soon.
The beaches at least were largely unaffected by the storm, which hit the east side of Panama City hardest. Panama City Beach, a separate town, is west of there.
Panama City Beach is particularly popular with residents of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, Florida, Missouri and Illinois because it has a relatively easy drive for most Southerners and has the closest beaches to the Midwest. The city has had a record-breaking tourism year. Visits were up 10.2 percent before the storm hit.
Officials promised they will be back for business as fast as possible, so tourists can enjoy Thanksgiving's "Beach Home for the Holidays" and a 10,000-beachball drop for New Year's Eve.
"Panama City Beach is so resilient," said Jayna Leach, a spokeswoman for Visit Panama City Beach. "With all of us working together, we'll be back and forth and be back to the world-class destination we've always been."
Lindsey is not so sure. After years of struggling to keep the store afloat, it does not know whether it can survive the flooding, wind damage and potential loss of precious antiques inside.
"Will it ever recover? Who knows? We would have gone back to the end of the day. back on our feet? " Lindsey said. "We're thinking, is this the time to give it up, to withdraw?"
Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: The Associated Press; Kevin Robinson, The Pensacola News-Journal
President Donald Trump kicked off his rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, by telling everyone in the path of Hurricane Michael that the nation's thoughts and prayers are with them. He says here will be no effort to help Florida recover. (Oct. 10)
AP
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