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U.S. NEWS Saturday 13 OctOber 2018

Hurricane-stricken

Continued from Front Creek too damaged to live
in.
Zahralban spoke as his When she went back to the
team — which included a hotel where she took shelter
dog — was winding down from the storm, she found
its two-day search of Mex- out she could no longer
ico Beach, the town of stay there either because
about 1,000 people that of mold. “We’ve got to fig-
was nearly wiped off the ure something out. We’re
map when Michael blew starting from scratch, all of
ashore there Wednesday us,” Plushnik said.
with devastating 155 mph President Donald Trump
(249 kph) winds. announced plans to visit
Blocks and blocks of homes Florida and hard-hit Geor-
were demolished, reduced gia early next but didn’t
to splintered lumber or say what day he would ar-
mere concrete slabs by the rive. “We are with you!” he
most powerful hurricane to tweeted.
hit the continental U.S. in Shell-shocked survivors who
nearly 50 years. barely escaped with their
As the catastrophic dam- lives told of terrifying winds,
age across the Florida Pan- surging floodwaters and
handle came into view 48 homes cracking apart.
hours after the hurricane Emergency officials said
struck, there was little they had completed an
doubt the death toll would initial “hasty search” of the
rise. stricken area, looking for
How high it might go was the living or the dead, and
unclear. But authorities were now launching into
scrapped plans to set up more careful inspections of
a temporary morgue, sug- ruined buildings.
gesting they had yet to see Gov. Rick Scott said state
mass casualties. officials still “do not know
State officials said that by enough” about the fate of Jay Faulk, 56, surveys the damage to his home, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla.
one count, 285 people in those who stayed behind Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach began to make their way back to their homes
Mexico Beach defied man- in the region. some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday.
datory evacuation orders “We are not completely Associated Press
and stayed behind. Wheth- done. We are still getting
er any of them got out at down there,” the governor to come back. Many of
some point was unclear. added. Federal Emergen- the 600 families who live
Emergency officials said cy Management Agency there had followed orders
they have received thou- chief Brock Long said he to pack what they could
sands of calls asking about expects to see the death in a single suitcase as they
missing people. But with toll rise. “We still haven’t were evacuated ahead of
cellphone service out gotten into the hardest- the storm.
across vast swaths of the hit areas,” he said, adding The hurricane’s eyewall
Florida Panhandle, officials with frustration: “Very few passed directly overhead,
said it is possible that some people live to tell what it’s severely damaging nearly
of those unaccounted for like to experience storm every building and leav-
are safe and just haven’t surge, and unfortunately in ing many a complete loss.
been able to contact this country we seem to not The elementary school, the
friends or family. Across the learn the lesson.” flight line, the marina and
ravaged region, mean- Long expressed worry that the runways were devas-
while, authorities set up dis- people have suffered “hur- tated.
tribution centers to hand ricane amnesia.” “I will not recall you and
out food and water to vic- “When state and local of- your families until we can
tims. Some supplies were ficials tell you to get out, guarantee your safety. At
brought in by trucks, while dang it, do it. Get out,” he this time I can’t tell you
others had to be delivered said. how long that will take, but
by helicopter because of On the Panhandle, Tyn- I’m on it,” Laidlaw wrote.
debris still blocking roads. dall Air Force Base “took a “We need to restore basic
Residents began to come beating,” so much so that utilities, clear our roads of
to grips with the destruction Col. Brian Laidlaw told the trees and power lines, and
and face up to the uncer- 3,600 men and women assess the structural integ-
tainty that lies ahead. stationed on the base not rity of our buildings.”q
“I didn’t recognize nothing.
Everything’s gone. I didn’t
even know our road was
our road,” said 25-year-
old Tiffany Marie Plushnik,
an evacuee who returned
to find her home in Sandy linda.reijnders@cspnv.com