Hurricane Michael

On November 2nd I was deployed with American Red Cross to Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach, Florida for 2 weeks.

This hurricane hit Panama City Beach not so much.  The adjacent community,  Panama City was hit more severely.  I was there 4 weeks after the hurricane and many businesses still were not open or were damaged so heavily the buildings were not salvageable.  Many homes were heavily damaged.  Some families were camping in their home.  The air force base was heavily damaged.  Most trees were snapped off 16 to 20 feet above ground, lined up like dominoes one way and then, as the hurricane wind changed direction, the opposite  direction.  Mexico City Beach was very severely damaged.  It is good that this hurricane didn’t hit a major population area.

The clients we served were the ones with few resources, the ones without family and financial assets.  Then, when temperature began to fall below 50 those who had been living in their cars were worn out and began to come into the shelter.  When it began to rain and the temperatures fell near and below freezing, families camping in or near what remained of their homes came in, mothers and fathers with one, two or four or five children. And, to add more people to the shelter, black mold was becoming very evident in some homes and rentals so people had to leave where they had been living.

FEMA, VA, and other local, state, and federal assistance people were right on site the whole time ready to help and find places for the clients. I was most impressed with VA who went to individual clients and the dedication and, though at times it seemed less than organized, the coordinated efforts of Red Cross with local government was absolutely amazing.

These photos were taken as my room mate and I drove from Panama City Beach to Mexico City Beach and back in the rain, so there are rain drops in the photos. They were taken with my iPhone, not my usual Nikon camera.

We are blessed to have our homes and families.  I was blessed to meet the many clients and volunteers who are part of our Holy One’s family.