In Southport, Florida, just north of Panama City, Daniel Dean described widespread damage and debris. The hurricane made landfall on Wednesday in Mexico Beach, some 25 miles from Panama City. When Hurricane Michael hit ground zero in Mexico Beach, the entire Panama City area, as well as all other nearby cities and populated beach communities, sustained overwhelming damage. Their home is about 12 feet above sea level — but the storm surge is predicted to top that. This is why. Hurricane Michael Damage? "We didn't think it was going to be worse than [Hurricane] Ivan," she said. As Hurricane Michael menaced the Florida Panhandle with howling winds and dangerous surf, residents riding out the storm in the popular resort town of Panama City Beach witnessed just how damaging it could be. "Right now it is just catastrophic out here in Southport ... we have garage doors that have been smashed in," he said, adding that the entire roof of a church had been ripped off. US Air Force plane passes through eye of Hurricane Michael_1, People look on at a damaged store in Panama City, People begin to clear up after of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida, A collapsed boat housing sits after the arrival of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Waves crash into houses on the shore at Alligator Point in Franklin County, Florida, Haley Nelson of Panama City stands by her father's destroyed trailer home, A damaged store in downtown Panama City, Florida, A woman and her children wait in Panama City, Florida, A stores windows are shattered by Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida, A damaged apartment building in Panama City, Florida, A damaged liquor store in Panama City Beach, Florida, A helicopter hovers over a damaged neighbourhood, A man wades through a flooded street in Panama City, Florida, Charles Swaney of Panama City sits in the office of a damaged motel in Panama City, Florida, A market is flooded in St. Marks, Florida, A high-rise apartment building is damaged in Panama City Beach, Florida, Lenora Adams of Panacea, Florida evacuates a motel with her dog, Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US, Devastating aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, pictured, Video from the ISS reveals just how massive Hurricane Michael is. Panama City Beach Mayor Mark Sheldon went out to Frank Brown Park to assess the damage. Observers are concerned this one will shred pockets of the treasured coastline, part of a larger 100-mile stretch dubbed the Emerald Coast. The Gulf Coast resort town — and the larger destination of neighboring Panama City — has beckoned vacationers and spring break partiers for decades with its emerald waters and sugar white sands. "The resort next to us is completely demolished," said Lisa Dawn Parker, 51, who has lived in Panama City Beach for almost three years and took cover along with her boyfriend in a friend's apartment near the beach. From October 11-14, 2018, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) collected 9,580 aerial damage assessment images covering approximately 4,153 square miles in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Hurricane Michael made landfall as an unprecedented Category 5 Hurricane in the Florida Panhandle region with maximum sustained wind speeds of 140 knots (161 mph) and a minimum pressure 919 mb. Another 125,000 people were without power in the Carolinas and Alabama. Contact Us. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) — As Hurricane Sally churns in the Gulf, Bay County residents are experiencing flash flooding. A storm chaser climbs into his vehicle as the eye of Hurricane Michael passed to retrieve equipment after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach, Florida, on Oct. 10, 2018. Call Us: (850) 614-3130 ... Panama City Hotline. ", She said there was "lots and lots of wind and debris," and that "the rest of the beach is getting tattered with waves. Panama City Beach. Top News Videos for panama city beach hurricane damage. Palm trees blow in the winds from Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach, Fla., on Wed., Oct. 10, 2018. Panama City,Tyndall, Mexico Beach will take years to recover and are still pretty ragged. As dawn broke over Panama City, Florida on Thursday, the stunning scope of Hurricane Michael's rampage began to come into view, a sprawl of almost unimaginable destruction wrought by … Many homes and businesses suffered significant damage. In Callaway, a town of around 14,000 just east of Panama City, Doug Jones was in his home when a tree fell on it, completely destroying the structure. "There's lots of damage in my neighborhood," Sarah Shelley, a lifelong resident of Panama City which is near Panama City Beach, said in a phone interview with MSNBC Wednesday afternoon, describing rainy and windy conditions even after the monster storm hit. “It was obviously pretty intense. I had to jump into the hallway so it didn't fall on me.". Tropical Storm Laura Strengthens to Hurricane in Gulf of Mexico. High-rise condos and homes dot the beaches. The tourists areas are fine. "Those pine trees are tall and skinny, and they're gonna snap like twigs under 150-mph winds," Senkbeil said. was severely impacted by the then-Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Michael has left a trail devastation in its wake after making landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida — roughly 20 miles southeast of Panama City in the state’s Panhandle area. “There was a lot of noise. “We knew that it … Hurricane Michael has left a trail devastation in its wake after making landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida — roughly 20 miles southeast of Panama City in the state’s Panhandle area. "We weren’t quite expecting it to get quite so strong so quick," she said, although she added that her home is in a "pretty high area" outside of flood zones. At least two people are said to have died in the storm, and more mortalities may soon be discovered as crews work to help the region to regain stability. There are repairs and services which will need to get restored before the spot is ready for travelers again. We Can Help! "I've been here all my life and I've never seen the water hit the end of the pier the way that it's doing," Panama City Beach Mayor Mike Thomas told MSNBC before the storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Mexico Beach, a sparsely populated town about 28 miles to the southeast. The house can be rebuilt, but our photos and everything are getting soaking wet," Jones said, becoming emotional. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Request FREE claim inspection! Since then, no Category 4 storm or higher has ever hit the Florida Panhandle, researchers say. "I tried to explain to them that this isn't similar to any type of hurricane.". The storm has caused wide spread flooding throughout the entire panhandle. On Wednesday 10th October, 2018 the 3rd largest Hurricane to make landfall in the United States hit the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches, Panama City Beach, Florida. Since 1871, when records of hurricane activity began to be kept, Panama City, FL, has experienced sixty hurricanes or major tropical storms. He said he was disheartened that a number of the town's 12,000 residents failed to evacuate ahead in time, instead choosing to shelter in place. Residents on Faith Lane in Panama City Beach found themselves stranded inside their homes Wednesday due to flooding in their neighborhood. Cameron Sadowski walks through crashing surf on the beach as the outer bands of Hurricane Michael arrive on Oct. 10, 2018 in Panama City Beach, Florida. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Strong winds, thunder, heavy rain and a possible tornado shook Panama City Beach Monday. "This is the worst hurricane I've ever been through," Jones said. The park has been shut down because of the damage and it … "I'm trying to save what I can. Before Panama City, Florida faced extensive damage during and after the powerful Hurricane Michael made landfall here in October 2018, almost 37,000 people lived in the city, with some rebuilding their homes, businesses, and personal property with the help of The Morgan Law Group, P.A. Imagery was collected in specific areas identified by NOAA in coordination with FEMA and other state and federal partners.Collected images are available to view online via the NGS aerial imagery viewer. Many homes and businesses suffered significant damage. Hurricane Michael brings flooding and destruction as it moves through Florida Panhandle, One dead as Michael, no longer a hurricane, churns across land, Photos: Hurricane Michael pounds Florida Panhandle, Dog Island resident: I don't regret my decision to stay during storm, Feel like Hurricane Michael came out of nowhere? "I was in the living room and heard a huge cracking noise," Jones, 50, who is a traffic technician for Bay County and said he stayed because he was on call for work, said in a phone interview. panama city beach hurricane damage thomas drive: mexico beach hurricane damage: pier park panama city beach hurricane damage: panama city hurricane damage: 12 3. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? "I feel that they're taking it maybe a little lightly," Albibi said. "There's going to be a high-dollar value in terms of economic farm loss," he added. "The windows are blown out. The storm made landfall just north of Mexico Beach on Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing with it 155 mph sustained winds that that fell just short of making Michael a Category 5 storm. "There are trees — I mean trees on top of trees on top of trees on top of trees — that are just piled up in the roads," Dean said in a phone interview on MSNBC Wednesday afternoon. Toll Free: (866) 965-2524 Panama City Headquarters. Michael is now the first threat of its magnitude to strike the area since record-keeping began more than 165 years ago. The whole front of it's gone," she said in a phone interview with NBC News Wednesday after the storm hit. IE 11 is not supported. "I have never seen anything like this in my entire life in the Panhandle region, ever.". Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In some photos, Jinks Middle School in Panama City was shown to have endured such harsh winds that a drone was able to fly straight into the school’s gymnasium after heavy winds pulled the roof back and collapsed walls. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WALA) -- The worst storm the Florida panhandle has ever seen has left Panama City Beach in shambles. "There are power lines crossing the road," he said. Vance Beu told the Associated Press that he was staying with his mother at an apartment complex with Hurricane Michael hit the region, and that the storm sounded like a “super high-pitched” roar that sounded as if “a jet engine was coming”. On Wednesday 10th October, 2018 the third largest hurricane to make landfall in the United States hit Panama City Beach, Florida and other parts of the Panhandle. Megan Williams, from left, and roommate Kaylee O'Brian take belongings from their destroyed home after several trees fell on the house during Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2018. Osama Albibi said he, his wife and three young children evacuated Tuesday night from Panama City Beach to Panama City to stay with family ahead of the storm. More than 338,000 customers in Florida and 343,000 in Georgia were reported to be without power. Palm trees blow in the winds from Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach, Fla., on Wed., Oct. 10, 2018. Panama City Beach Floods as Storm Marco Hangs in Gulf Thunderstorms sparked flash flooding in Florida’s panhandle as Tropical Storm Marco lashed parts of … Drone video shows widespread hurricane damage in Panama City. Videos on social media showed 155-mph winds ripping tarps off roofs, new housing on the beach collapsing into the encroaching waves and buildings completely flattened or covered in debris. The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 155 mph when it made landfall Wednesday morning, making it a Category 4 — but it has since been downgraded to tropical storm. The water looks like it's gone up to the dunes from here.". PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Strong winds, thunder, heavy rain and a possible tornado shook Panama City Beach Monday. Approximate damage is unknown at this time. "All of a sudden, the roof came down. PCB had little damage and you won’t notice anything resembling storm damage. Still, her back porch and carport blew away in the fierce winds, she said. Though it's not the hardest hit area, Hurricane … In Panama City Beach… In Panama City Beach, beaches are only the start of the fun. Answer 1 of 14: Any photos of the hurricane damage at Edgewater resort? "We don't know why we stayed. Florida Governor Rick Scott issued a mandatory evacuation notice on Tuesday 9th, and residents began to evacuate the area in anticipation of what was then, a category 3 Hurricane. This map contains markers linked to images and video of damage caused by hurricane Michael (2018) around the Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach area. Now-Tropical Storm Michael made landfall as the strongest hurricane to hit the Florida Panhandle in recorded history. However Panama City itself had a good amount of damages and people I spoke to see a number of places are still pretty torn up and of course further east Mexico beach is in really bad shape but starting to get repairs done. Two people have been confirmed killed: A man died when a tree fell on a residence in Greensboro, Florida, and an 11-year-old girl died in Seminole County, Georgia, when she was struck in the head by part of a metal carport that crashed into the roof of her home, authorities said. Mexico Beach and Panama City have been left facing what Florida Governor Rick Scott called "unimaginable destruction". Some of the most severely affected cities include Panama City Beach, Mexico Beach, Blountstown, Lynn Haven, Wewahitchka, and Port St. Joe. Michael made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Mexico Beach, a town about 20 miles (32kms) southeast of Panama City, around 1:00 pm Eastern time (1700 GMT), the National Hurricane … Abnormally warm waters in the Gulf this October has fueled Michael. An 11-year-old Georgia girl was also killed in the storm when her family’s mobile home was rammed by a car port. Federal Emergency Management Administration (Fema) administrator Brock Long told “FOX & Friends” on Thursday that those workers were only abel to conduct a “limited” amount of search and rescue missions Wednesday before nightfall. Photographs show that the region took a heavy hit from Hurricane Michael. This makes Hurricane Micheal one of the most powerful storms to hit the USA in recorded history. MTV's "Jersey Shore" spin off, "Floribama Shore," is also filmed in Panama City Beach. For Pierce-King, it seems clear to her that Panama City Beach is recovering with ease from Hurricane Michael, while people in Panama City are still struggling with what to do next. "If you're going to live in a beautiful place, there's always some kind of problem with it, and this is truly beautiful, even now ... it's just a shame [the hurricane is] so destructive," Thomas said. The hotels were outstanding before Hurricane Michael hit the Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach areas in October of 2018. Central pressure, a key measurement of a hurricane’s intensity was recorded as low as 919 millibars. Panama City Resort and Club sustained severe damages. FOX10 News drone video shows the devastation left behind in Panama City following Hurricane Micheal. PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WEHT) — An Eyewittness News viewer on vacation in Panama City Beach Florida is getting a first hand look at the winds and rain from Hurricane … 400 W 11th ST, Suite D Panama City, FL 32401. "This is absolutely going to devastate Panama City Beach," said Jason Senkbeil, a University of Alabama associate professor of geography who has researched hurricane evacuees. Heavy winds could block access to streets as well as isolated fishing villages. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB)–Hurricane Sally did not just impact the beaches. As the day began on Thursday, emergency response crews were working to clear debris from roads and to initiate rescue operations where possible. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Driving through parts of Panama City -- Hwy 231, 15th St. (Hwy 98), Hwy 77 and a few neighborhoods -- two days after Hurricane Michael damaged the area. Next 24 results. Hurricane Michael was a very powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that became the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the contiguous United States since Andrew in 1992.In addition, it was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States in terms of pressure, behind the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and Hurricane Camille in 1969. "I've been here all my life and I've never seen the water hit the end of the pier the way that it's doing," the mayor of Panama City Beach said. A storm chaser climbs into his vehicle as the eye of Hurricane Michael passed to retrieve equipment after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach, Florida, on Oct. 10, 2018. “It was obviously pretty intense. In addition, the area is laced with two-lane roads and pine trees. At least six people have been killed after Hurricane Michael made landfall on Wednesday in the Florida panhandle, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Even if they wanted to, all of the bridges in the county were deemed unsafe and closed earlier Wednesday afternoon. "There’s flooding everywhere," Dean said. PANAMA CITY, FL (WBRC) - Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida on Wednesday afternoon. Phone: (850) 614-3130 This comes only a … Hurricane Sally brought heavy rain and flooded several roads in Panama City Beach on Sept. 15, 2020. Underpaid & Denied Claims? 01:02. “It was terrifying, honestly,” Mr Beu told that news service. Panama City’s Front Beach Rd. Albibi, a 40-year-old financial adviser with Merrill Lynch, said he's most worried about his parents, both 68, who decided to stay behind in Panama City Beach. Because tropical storms and hurricanes frequent the Panama City and Port St. Joe area of Florida, residents must always be prepared and always be preparing for the next one. Last year saw a record 17 million visitors to Panama City Beach, bringing in $2.8 billion worth of economic activity, according to a local tourism report in March. We’ve got some pretty heavy damage on some particular structures and within the city,” Panama City Beach Fire Battalion Chief Tim Smith said. Like many in the region, Shelley lost power, but she said they have food and water and her parents who live up the street have an RV so they can cook food if necessary in the hurricane’s aftermath. If you want to visit other areas then travel west- say 30A over to Destin if you’d like to explore. Although Jones is a Florida native who has lived through many, many hurricanes, he said this storm was particularly bad. We thought the windows were going to break at any time". The National Weather Service confirmed it was "unprecedented" in the … ... Mexico Beach Hotline. Besides tourism, Senkbeil said the local agricultural industry, which includes peanuts and cotton, could suffer now because it's harvest time. The storm caused catastrophic damage from wind and storm surge, particularly in the Panama City Beach to Mexico Beach to Cape San Blas areas. In addition, Michael's peak winds at landfall were the fourth strongest on record for a hurricane slamming the U.S. mainland, just behind Andrew in 1992, Camille in 1969 and the biggest — an unnamed storm in 1935. Panama City, Florida, before (December 2017) Category 4 Hurricane Michael's catastrophic landfall on the Florida Panhandle on October 10th, 2018. Michael is one of the strongest storms to hit the state in the past 80 years, and left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. Specifically the villas? Those deaths include a Florida man who was killed by a tree that crashed through his roof.