Hurricane Michael - October 2018

[Gardener1850]

The devastation of this hurricane is so bad I struggle to find words for it. Everyone I'm seeing interviewed that stayed behind and just barely survived seem to be in such great shock that I worry for their health and safety. I think they need to be made to leave the area to go where there will be food and water and safe places to sleep. In most hurricanes there are pockets of homes that are untouched and still livable (just without electricity) among the completely destroyed ones but this damage looks like there are no buildings that are safely inhabitable. The scope of Michael's damage seems unfathomable right now.

 

[MimosaMornings]

This definately does not look like a reiable news source to me.
Plus, how can you be angry about lack of immediate help when you were strongly warned to leave or seek shelter?

Words escape me. When told to evacuate- the Marshall told our street if we chose to stay then we needed to be prepared for WEEKS not days of no help. No way to get in or out even if our house was not affected, all roads were becoming inaccessible and would be that way for a long time.
And SS on right arm in permanent black marker.
I left!

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Understandably emotions are running high. But so many roads in are impassable. It takes a large amount of time .. work..and equipment before carvans of semis can even be able to get to the areas in need.

Due to that being the situation it's better for smaller vehicles to come in trying to find road access..even small backwood roads where large caravans of semis cant access but where smaller carvans of small vehicles possibly can.

For the coastal communities which have presumably been hit the hardest, why is aid not being brought in by sea?

 

[Gardener1850]

This definately does not look like a reiable news source to me.
Plus, how can you be angry about lack of immediate help when you were strongly warned to leave or seek shelter?

The Daily Beast tends to sensationalize things IMO:

Down the street, Barbara Sanders stood outside her daughter’s unit, where she had come to stay during the hurricane.
“We’re not getting any help,” she said. “We need food. It’s just crazy.”
Sanders said that not a single relief agency had come by to check on them. Only the police had come and it was to tell everyone to leave. “They told us there’s nothing they can do and it’s gonna take a long time to rebuild,” Sanders said.
Just then a pick-up truck arrived with water. It was the first help this neighborhood had received and it turned out to be two brothers—Chris and Brendon Hill, from Louisiana—who had decided to come and help.

No Food, No FEMA: Hurricane Michael’s Survivors Are Furious

BBM. I think the above is somewhat true but it's been twisted to make the headline sound like no one is doing anything to help when that is not true. I believe it that the police came and told the survivors that they need to leave the area. And I believe people are in shock or in denial enough that they will stay and then complain of no help coming by. They don't understand the roads are blocked and there may not be any safe buildings to set up a distribution of food and water nearby. They don't understand how long it will be before power can be restored. I wish the police had done more than just tell them to leave but I guess they cannot legally drag people away from their wrecked homes. I feel for them but at the same time I hope they are able to realize they need to heed the police warning and take care of themselves/get out of there. The people in the pick up truck delivering water would probably be more than happy to give stranded survivors a ride out of the area. JMO.

 

[Gardener1850]

For the coastal communities which have presumably been hit the hardest, why is aid not being brought in by sea?

Probably logistically it's not the fastest way or safest way. They would need a stable place to dock and unload supplies in bulk and a large secure building, then the supplies still need to be driven to the areas where they are distributed -- From photos I have seen all the docks in the hardest hit areas seem to have been destroyed, swept inland by the storm surge and piled on top of the wreckage of the houses with boats piled up too. The National Guard was shown filling cargo planes full of supplies to do an air drop. Air drops or helicopter drops are probably faster and safer for those delivering the help to the areas that can't be reached by road yet. JMO.

Florida National Guard, Gov. Scott deliver supplies to Eastpoint

Another reason not to use water delivery is because the supplies are probably coming on semi trucks from other US states and cities inland. It's an extra step to drive past the area where they are needed in order to transfer them to boats and off boats again to cars. One of the staging areas where they are directing out of state supplies is in Tallahassee:

Florida National Guard teams staging in Tallahassee

Here's a map of where that is in relation to Mexico Beach: Google Maps
Imagine the supplies are already being driven from other cities on the main highways 75 and 10.

Here is a video that shows the National Guard taking water from semi trucks and loading up smaller pick-up trucks and cars: FL National Guard distributes food, water
The smaller vehicles can take back roads to get closer to the worst areas. JMO.

 

[Gardener1850]

MEXICO BEACH, Fla. (WEAR) —

This is ground zero in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.

Mexico Beach has a strictly enforced curfew in place. No one is allowed to be outside after sunset.

Blanketed by the darkness, the piles of rubble are incredibly dangerous, there’s been looting in the area.

The National Guard is helping local law enforcement keep people safe and keep order.

Saturday afternoon, our crew attached to a National Guard unit and went into Mexico Beach.

On the road to Mexico Beach, you get a preview of what you’re about to see in terms of the destruction of the buildings, because every tree you pass has also been destroyed.

It’s an ominous feeling, literally a waste-land in the woods, and then you come into the town to see houses, condos, hotels and inns full of gaping holes.
The things that were inside of them on Wednesday morning are now in piles on the side of Highway 98.

We rode with a chaplain with the 1st Squadron - 153rd Cavalry Regimen out of Panama City. He’s come to pray with folks, to reassure them, as Hurricane Michael has shaken many families to the core.

Read more: National Guard takes us into Mexico Beach in Michael’s aftermath

 

[MaryG12]

My friend T. in NC did not get any rain, just a lot of wind from Michael - he said Michael was west of his location.

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VIDEO: Former Sarasota resident shows his experience during Hurricane Michael

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VIDEO: Looting reported in Panama City

Across the street at the time a man tried to steal a law enforcement vehicle.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Probably logistically it's not the fastest way or safest way. They would need a stable place to dock and unload supplies in bulk and a large secure building, then the supplies still need to be driven to the areas where they are distributed -- From photos I have seen all the docks in the hardest hit areas seem to have been destroyed, swept inland by the storm surge and piled on top of the wreckage of the houses with boats piled up too. The National Guard was shown filling cargo planes full of supplies to do an air drop. Air drops or helicopter drops are probably faster and safer for those delivering the help to the areas that can't be reached by road yet. JMO.

I'm not suggesting aid by sea instead of by road but as well as. The sheer amount of damage and debris to be cleared on land means it will take time to get supplies through to the coast by road so bringing in some by sea makes sense. Bulk supplies brought in by warship and run ashore in landing craft or other shallow-draft vessels that can run up onto the beach. I just don't believe the US Navy couldn't manage that.

 

[Gardener1850]

I'm not suggesting aid by sea instead of by road but as well as. The sheer amount of damage and debris to be cleared on land means it will take time to get supplies through to the coast by road so bringing in some by sea makes sense. Bulk supplies brought in by warship and run ashore in landing craft or other shallow-draft vessels that can run up onto the beach. I just don't believe the US Navy couldn't manage that.

It's not a bad idea. And I'm sure they could do it later if it is needed and if they find a path. The problem becomes once you get the supplies from large ship onto smaller boat and to the beach, you still need vehicles and roads to transport from the beach. This is an example of what the road looks like along the beach:

Hurricane Michael Ripped Up This Florida Beach Road | The Weather Channel

And this:

'I don't have anything left': Hurricane Michael survivors scramble for food, water as death toll rises

This overhead view shows a couple blocks from the beach (beach at bottom of pic):

'I don't have anything left': Hurricane Michael survivors scramble for food, water as death toll rises

They have to go where there are clear paths to transport supplies to the people in need. In the first few days/weeks of a disaster the fastest way (usually an airdrop) and safest way is usually taken first. If they can't get enough supplies via land I would not be surprised if a sea route is explored for longer term solutions. But in the short term it seems more difficult and slower. JMO.

 

[MimosaMornings]

My prayers to all those devastated by Michael.

 

[Gardener1850]

Five days after the monstrous hurricane, officials said the search and rescue missions had turned into one of recovery.

'We're going into recovery mode, unfortunately,' said Fire Chief Alex Baird of Panama City, one of the coastal Florida communities clobbered by the hurricane.

'At sunrise, we'll start again on our search,' Baird said. 'We hope that we'll find more (survivors), but it's more and more doubtful.'

Hampered by power and telephone outages, some rescue teams have been using cadaver dogs, drones and heavy equipment to hunt for people in the rubble.

Taylor Fontenot, founder of 50 Star SAR, a volunteer search and rescue organisation, said he will alert authorities when he finds corpses with his group's cadaver dog.

'When we pulled into Mexico Beach, she was trying to jump out the window because she smelled so many bodies,' he said.

Hunt for missing people caught up in Hurricane Michael is now a 'search for the dead' | Daily Mail Online

 

[Gardener1850]

The Jacksonville Humane Society announced it will be evacuating around 100 cats and kittens to the Brandywine Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Delaware in response to Hurricane Michael.

The cats will be flown by Wings of Rescue, and the flight is possible thanks to Jacksonville Jaguars' Malik Jackson, who reached out to JHS and offered help from his foundation, Malik's Gifts.

“Malik supports animal welfare in the communities where he lives and works,” said JHS CEO Denise Deisler. “We are so grateful; without his support, this would not be possible.”

Jaguars' Malik Jackson helps evacuate cats after Hurricane Michael

 

[Gardener1850]

CUSSETA, GA (WTVM) - Two churches in different cities join to provide hot meals to those still without power after Hurricane Michael.

Bethel A.M.E. Church in Cusseta, GA and Phillips Temple C.M.E. Church out of Phenix City prepared meals for those who are not able to prepare a hot meal for themselves.

Two local churches prepare hot meals for Hurricane Michael victims

 

[Gardener1850]

The farms in and around Albany took a severe beating. They produce a good share of the country’s supply of sweet pecans and of the state’s cotton. Georgia is the second largest cotton producer in the nation after Texas, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

The damage is so widespread that the Georgia Agriculture Department estimates a $2 billion hit to the state’s economy. To recover, state officials and farmers said federal assistance will be necessary.

“This was going to probably go down as one of the greatest crops ever,” said Justin Jones, who farms 2,600 acres of cotton and 500 acres of pecans in the Albany region. Good weather this summer, with the perfect amount of rain, had made for an outstanding growing season, he said. Hurricane Michael rendered much of Jones’s crops unusable, with cotton that won’t be worth picking.

Many of the processing plants and buying points for peanuts and pecans were significantly damaged, state agriculture officials said. And farmers estimate about 80 percent of irrigation pivots in farms south of Albany were flipped over.

“You can’t get harder hit than this. There’s nothing to sell to get our income back. It’s all gone,” Jones said. “I have been a farmer for 15 years on my own, and I may have just lost everything I got in a matter of six hours. . . . We are going to need some type of assistance or guidance.”

In a southwest Georgia city, another devastating attack from Mother Nature

 

[Gardener1850]

The widespread destruction has left many people living in dire conditions. Residents have been waiting in long lines to collect bottle water and ready-to-eat meals (MREs) at several distribution centers. Helicopters are also airdropping food and water to remote areas.

Some people have resorted to looting.
“This (storm) hit so hard and so fast that the different aspects of human nature is going to come out, and people are going to do anything to survive,” Panama City resident Christopher Donahue told WEAR-TV.

Within three or four hours of the storm’s impact, many dollar stores and convenience stores in the area were looted, according to Panama City Fire Department Division Chief Scott Flitcraft.
Authorities were also investigating reports of a fatal shooting in Panama City, WEAR reported.

As of Sunday, more than 435,000 customers are still without power in seven states from Florida to Virginia. The death toll remains at 18 but authorities say it could continue climbing.

Hurricane Michael aftermath: Thousands join recovery efforts as many residents remain missing

 

[Gardener1850]

At least 46 people remained unaccounted for on Sunday in Mexico Beach, Florida, an area pulverized by Hurricane Michael, the city's mayor told ABC News.
Mayor Al Cathey said that 289 people, including 10 children, decided to stay put, despite evacuation orders, and ride out the category 4 storm which made landfall on Wednesday and destroyed numerous homes and businesses in Mexico Beach, which boasts a population of nearly 1,200.

Cathy and Mexico Beach City Clerk Adrian Welle told ABC News that 46 of those who stayed behind were missing Sunday.
Of the 17 people killed as the hurricane swept through the Florida Panhandle, Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina, only one confirmed death has been reported in Mexico Beach.
Hurricane Michael made landfall at Mexico Beach with 155 mph winds.

At least 46 missing in Florida city hit hard by Hurricane Michael: Official

 

[BUF]

Hunt for missing people caught up in Hurricane Michael is now a 'search for the dead' | Daily Mail Online

These photos are so hard to look at...I can't imagine those poor folks having to live through it.

A reporter on CNN said he saw them bring in a portable morgue into Mexico Beach.

 

[Gardener1850]

Officials, though, are still hopeful that the actual number is zero as they find out where people went and are able to get in contact with loved ones.
Search-and-rescue teams in the beach town had already combed areas with the worst damage.
"If we lose only one life, to me that's going to be a miracle," Mexico Beach Mayor Al Cathey said.
He said enough food and water had been brought in for the residents who remain. Even some cellphone service had returned to the devastated community.
President Donald Trump plans to visit Florida and Georgia on Monday to see damage.

Some victims stranded by the storm managed to summon relief by using logs to spell out "HELP" on the ground, officials in Bay County, which includes Mexico Beach, said in a Facebook post Sunday. Officials said someone from another county was using a mapping app, noticed the distress message and contacted authorities.
No details were released on who was stranded and what sort of help was needed.

Read more: 46 unaccounted for in Florida town after Hurricane Michael

 

[Gardener1850]

LYNN HAVEN The First Baptist Church of Lynn Haven creaked in a mid-Sunday morning breeze and at times the 50 or so congregants who gathered for a make-shift service in the parking lot strained to hear the pastors speak.
That's because of the loud wails from the sirens of emergency vehicles traveling up and down Lynn Haven Parkway, a commercial strip lined with fast food restaurants, bank branches and, yes churches.

At First Baptist there were tears. There were long embraces. And there were fears, as some of the 1,500 members of the church had not year been accounted for from last week's devastation from Hurricane Michael.
Most of all there was hope and a sense of togetherness amid a skeleton of what was once a church whose roots in the community, just north of Panama City, go back to the 1920s.

"We have to pick up what we have left of the church and move on for the glory of God," said the Rev. Tom Daniel, the lead pastor at the church.

Read more: Hurricane Michael makes Sunday church services somber and hopeful

 

[Gardener1850]

The storm not only destroyed homes and business in the city, it destroyed the Mexico Beach Police Department.

"We don't have a building -- from my understanding, the water surge moved it off its foundation," Mexico Beach Police Chief Anthony Kelly told ABC News on Friday. "The officers, I finally made accountability of them all today, two days after the fact. ... They're not just my officers, the people that I work with, they're my family."

Hurricane Michael's death toll climbed to 17 on Saturday. Officials expected the number of people killed by the storm to go higher as crews sifted through the wreckage of once-bustling oceanside cities, like Mexico Beach and Panama City Beach.

"There are individuals who are deceased. We do not have a count, but we are working to identify them," Miami Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban, leader of a search-and-rescue team in Mexico Beach, told The Associated Press.

At least 46 missing in Florida city hit hard by Hurricane Michael: Official