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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

A year after Hurricane Michael, Florida community still in crisis

FILE- In this Oct. 11, 2018 file photo, rescue personnel perform a search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla. A year after Hurricane Michael, Bay County, Florida, is still in crisis. Thousands are homeless, medical care and housing are at a premium, and domestic violence is increasing. Michael was among the strongest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the United States. This summer, county officials unveiled a blueprint to rebuild. Among their ideas: Use shipping containers and 3-D technology to build new houses and offer signing bonuses to lure new doctors.  (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) ORG XMIT: NYCD901 (Gerald Herbert / AP)
By Mike Schneider Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. – A year after Hurricane Michael, the Florida county hardest hit by the Category 5 storm is still in crisis.

Thousands in Bay County are homeless, medical care and housing are at a premium, and officials say domestic violence has been an issue.

Michael was among the strongest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the United States. It barreled onto the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, with 160 mph winds, ripping homes from their foundations and devastating Tyndall Air Force Base.

It left 22,000 of Bay County’s then-180,000 residents homeless and resulted in total insured losses of almost $7 billion.

This summer, county officials unveiled a nearly 300-page blueprint to rebuild. Among their ideas: Use shipping containers and 3-D technology to build new houses and offer signing bonuses to lure new doctors.