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Hurricane Michael Recovery Efforts Point to the Power of Local Generosity After Overlooked Disasters
10 October 2019
Insights + Opinion
A scene of Damage from Hurricane Michael at Mexico Beach, Florida on Oct. 17, 2018. Tim Donovan / Florida Fish & Wildlife
By David Berlan
When Hurricane Michael made landfall on Florida's Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, as a Category 5 storm it was only the fourth on record to have ever hit the U.S. mainland. The storm surge it brought about, along with 160-mile-per-hour winds, leveled coastal communities from Panama City to the town of Mexico Beach.
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<p>Then the storm continued northward, causing <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" rel="noopener noreferrer">flooding</a> in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/12/us/virginia-flooding-hurricane-michael-wxc/index.html" target="_blank">Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia</a>. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a government agency, attributes a total of <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/hurricane-michael-upgraded-to-category-5-at-time-of-us-landfall" target="_blank">16 deaths to the storm</a> and the authorities say that Michael killed another <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-dorian-florida/floridas-most-deadly-and-destructive-hurricanes-idUSKCN1VJ2CB" target="_blank">43 people indirectly</a>.</p><p>I've been traveling throughout the Florida Panhandle – the area Michael hit hardest – to towns like Marianna and Port St. Joe, meeting with a wide range of dedicated community members and <a href="https://coss.fsu.edu/hurricanesurvey" target="_blank">conducting a survey</a> of recovery efforts by leading a team of public administration student researchers. We have identified nearly $150 million in donated money, supplies and time.</p><p>Most of this support garnered within 11 months of the storm is coming from or being channeled through organizations within this part of Florida, near my home in Tallahassee. We're finding that local residents are organizing themselves to meet lingering needs in the absence of substantial outside attention and support.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTc1OTcwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDEwNTY3N30.If8pDx3_ImUfBFjaHcd4uJYbokDBq6vVHo8ql-vFhl8/img.png?width=980" id="a3b4d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1908bd47fffee102f1738ae1dc6e0907" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND
Source: NOAA Office for Coastal Management
<h2>Causing Massive Damage</h2><p>Even after getting <a href="https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2019/06/21/eight-months-after-michael-13-billion-federal-aid-panhandle" target="_blank">$1.3 billion in assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Administration</a> and other government agencies, much of the region remained devastated from Michael's estimated <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201812" target="_blank">$25 billion in total damage</a>.</p><p>Many of the region's largest employers, including forestry companies and Tyndall Air Force Base, are <a href="https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/09/17/Tyndall-AFB-holds-industry-day-as-rebuilding-gives-way-to-upgrades/1361568732385/" target="_blank">still rebuilding</a> a year later. So are <a href="https://www.wsav.com/weather-news/wsav-hurricane-central/one-year-later-calhoun-county-schools-still-reeling-from-hurricane-michael/" target="_blank">school systems and homeowners</a>.</p><p>But unless you live nearby, this may come as a surprise. Michael garnered less attention from the media and donors than the other storms that also caused damage on a massive scale, such as <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-the-response-to-hurricane-maria-compared-to-harvey-and-irma/" target="_blank">Harvey and Maria</a> in 2017 and 2018.</p>
<h2>Giving After the Storm</h2><p>The gravity and force of this hurricane, which <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/hurricane-michael-upgraded-to-category-5-at-time-of-us-landfall" target="_blank">NOAA only upgraded to a Category 5 storm</a> six months later, may never have fully registered on the public's radar.</p><p>That may explain why <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/survivors-of-hurricane-michael-in-the-florida-panhandle-fear-they-have-been-forgotten/2019/04/05/793ab5ce-563b-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html" target="_blank">Americans didn't donate as much</a> to support relief and recovery efforts following this disaster as they did a year earlier.</p><p>For example, the <a href="https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/enterprise-assets/pdfs/hurr-michael-six-month-update.pdf" target="_blank">Red Cross collected donations</a> totaling some $97 million following <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricane-irma" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hurricane Irma</a>, nearly triple the $36 million it obtained after Michael a year later. But Irma only caused <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL142018_Michael.pdf" target="_blank">twice as much damage</a>, according to NOAA.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTc2NDIzNi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDU0NTUyMH0.DbKJH0TkYDqxF5HPvJndIKTYG84YWC1-FZHHf2r1IpI/img.png?width=980" id="91f05" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cec349d4bc57197bf3d8be833efcfa87" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Table: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND
<h2>Studying Hurricane Michael</h2><p>The aftermath of other big storms like Sandy and Katrina have made it clear that the recovery process takes years to complete, with the burden falling on <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-takes-years-to-fully-recover-from-big-storms-like-sandy-118381" target="_blank">local nonprofits</a> once the sense of urgency outside the immediate area dissipates.</p><p>In the largely rural Florida counties where Hurricane Michael hit hard, a few <a href="https://www.northfloridarecovery.org/" target="_blank">nonprofits are leading the way</a> with <a href="https://www.rebuild850.org/" target="_blank">rebuilding efforts</a> that bring local religious congregations, businesses, governments and independent organizations together. These new networks are coordinating efforts by national, regional and local organizations that bring their own expertise and resources.</p><p>The donations, which include cash, services, supplies and volunteer labor, add up to about $145 million. While far less than the total of <a href="https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2019/06/21/eight-months-after-michael-13-billion-federal-aid-panhandle" target="_blank">$1.3 billion in federal funding for the storm</a>, this support equals about two-thirds of the <a href="https://www.newsherald.com/news/20190506/state-passes-240-million-in-hurricane-michael-aid-30m-for-bay-county-projects" target="_blank">$240 million</a> Florida's government has appropriated so far.</p><p>Nearly all of the funding is coming from organizations with a local presence.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTc2NDM5NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTM1MjY1Nn0.iJY-H3A3bq2TOU5Eq1fcykD1VWReT1B7yzhQAqrqBjA/img.png?width=980" id="75bda" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0b6c05fff1fda37614207632d5f4a533" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Data collected between Oct. 10, 2018, when the storm hit, through Sept. 5, 2019.
Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND. Source: Florida State University hurricane survey
<h2>Playing a Critical Role</h2><p>Another reason why recovering from disasters takes so long is that relatively few post-disaster government programs serve <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/05/688786177/how-federal-disaster-money-favors-the-rich" target="_blank">renters, homeowners without clear property titles or the homeless</a>. That leaves big gaps for charity to fill.</p><p>And when communities don't get much in the way of donations after disasters, they have trouble meeting the needs of their most vulnerable. This is made worse by <a href="https://theconversation.com/sending-help-where-its-needed-most-after-disasters-103210" target="_blank">poor targeting and coordination of aid</a> that can leave out rural or remote communities.</p><p>Donations come with fewer restrictions than government programs, giving nonprofits <a href="https://www.salon.com/2019/05/18/philanthropy-not-the-feds-failed-hurricane-michael-survivors-in-florida/" target="_blank">more flexibility</a>. They tend to <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-generosity-after-disasters-4-questions-answered-103215" target="_blank">arrive quickly</a> and do not need to wait on the government to appropriate money.</p><p>Throughout my research in a string of beach towns and rural inland communities along a stretch west and south of Tallahassee known as the <a href="https://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/old-florida-towns-on-the-forgotten-coast.html" target="_blank">Forgotten Coast</a>, I directly observed nonprofits relying upon donated funds, supplies and labor to meet housing and other needs not being met by <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-flood-insurance-needs-an-overhaul-6-questions-answered-114053" target="_blank">flood insurance</a> or government funding.</p><p>Everyone my students and I spoke with relayed multiple stories of how neighbors helped one another and how this generosity made the disaster recovery quicker and more bearable.</p>
<h2>Being Generous After Disasters</h2><p>The aftermath of Hurricane Michael shows how when public attention outside the region experiencing a disaster is minimal, it can lead to lower levels of donations.</p><p>As a result, I've seen people in the region feel overlooked and forced to rely on themselves. Fortunately, the post-disaster generosity of residents, neighbors and friends was more extensive than is immediately visible. Still, the region faces a long struggle to full recovery and cannot be certain the resources available with be enough.</p><p>From this example, I have two main suggestions for those wishing to help support survivors of disasters reevaluate how they choose to respond.</p><p>First, consider helping after overlooked disasters. That includes the ones that don't draw saturation media coverage, and those that occur on the heels of other tragedies that ushered in big donation drives. That's what <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-puerto-rico-is-getting-the-brunt-of-donor-fatigue-86036" target="_blank">happened with Hurricane Maria</a>, which crashed into Puerto Rico within a few weeks after Harvey and Irma.</p><p>Second, consider waiting before you give, or repeating your gift later. Try donating six months, a year or even two years after a disaster <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-help-after-a-disaster-consider-waiting-a-bit-103211" target="_blank">rather than right away</a> because the need will continue for a long time. Not rushing also makes it easier to <a href="https://theconversation.com/4-tips-for-selecting-charities-after-disasters-like-hurricane-dorian-123133" target="_blank">identify the best nonprofits to support</a>.</p><p>Making choices like these may bring hope and assistance to communities seeing too little of both.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Preparing for nature's next catastrophic <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/storm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#storm</a>, especially in rural areas involves community empowerment and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/disaster?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#disaster</a> planning. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/naturaldisaster?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#naturaldisaster</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/disasterpreparedness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#disasterpreparedness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/recovery?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#recovery</a> <a href="https://t.co/0NxXzwenZD">https://t.co/0NxXzwenZD</a></p>— Music for Relief (@MusicForRelief) <a href="https://twitter.com/MusicForRelief/status/1133036096244207616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<em>David Berlan is an assistant professor of public administration at the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, Florida State University.<br/></em><em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>David Berlan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond his academic appointment.</em></p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/hurricane-michael-recovery-efforts-point-to-the-power-of-local-generosity-after-overlooked-disasters-123325" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123325/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Related Articles Around the Web
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Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell at Wintzell's in Mobile, AL. donireewalker / CC BY 2.0
By Daniel R. Petrolia and William C. Walton
For Cainnon Gregg, 2018 started out as a great year. After leaving his job as an installation artist to become a full-time oyster farmer in Wakulla County, Florida in 2017, Gregg began raising small oysters in baskets or bags suspended in the shallow, productive coastal waters of Apalachicola Bay.
Raising oysters "off-bottom" this way takes a lot of time and money, but has a big potential payoff. They are destined for the high-end raw bar market, where offerings are denoted by specific appellations, like "Salty Birds" (Cainnon's oysters), "Navy Coves" (from Alabama) and "Murder Points" (also from Alabama), and can retail for twice the price of oysters harvested from traditional on-bottom reefs.
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When Hurricane Michael made landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida, on Oct. 10, it dealt a devastating blow to this nascent industry. Preliminary reports indicate significant damage and heavy crop losses. Raising oysters by any method is not an easy job, but if off-bottom farming can become established along the Gulf Coast, it could give the industry a much-needed boost, give consumers more choices, and provide a new stream of environmental benefits.
</p><div id="88191" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0KFXXZ1576662078"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdXjq1PDEvP/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">PelicanOysterCo on Instagram: “This time last year I only dreamt of what my own farm would be like and now I’m a few weeks away from my first harvest. This has been a…”</a></p>
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<strong>Premium Products</strong>
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The U.S. produces multiple species of oysters, but historically the eastern oyster (<em>Crassostrea virginica</em>) has accounted for over 70 percent of total harvests. The Gulf Coast generally accounts for 80 percent of those, with production generating <a href="https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/16121" target="_blank">$1 billion in annual revenues</a>.
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Louisiana is the national leader in oyster production, with a handful of other states vying for second place, including Washington, South Carolina and Texas. However, when states are ranked by value per unit—that is, total value over total landings—states like Massachusetts, Maryland and Virginia dominate.
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This is partly due to regional differences in how oysters are grown and marketed. Traditional harvesting of oyster reefs on the sea bottom still dominates in the Gulf region. These oysters are generally sold as a commodity, appearing on menus as simply "oysters" or "Gulf Coast oysters."
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Elsewhere, most oysters come from off-bottom farming and tend to be marketed under the names of specific reefs, growers or appellations. Off-bottom oyster farming has been a <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/aquaculture/us-aquaculture" target="_blank">major driver in the growth of marine aquaculture production nationally</a>.
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODgwMzIxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTIzMjk4OX0.lNw_0CwYdfLhYlGBnOZFkq4Row8LE3WIHX9eCbjhAIU/img.jpg?width=980" id="cb0eb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f00d4b755880d37aead522c40664e461" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Oysters are grown in cages at Island Creek Oyster Farm in Duxbury, MA.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="https://flic.kr/p/bDGAqU" target="_blank">MA Office of Travel and Tourism / Hanks</a>, CC BY-ND</small>
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The Gulf's first commercial off-bottom farms started up in Alabama and Louisiana in 2010. Today more than 50 farms are operating in Florida, Alabama and Louisiana, with permits pending for others in Mississippi. Harvest data are limited, but in Alabama alone, eleven farms collectively reported <a href="http://masgc.org/assets/uploads/publications/1312/alabama_shellfish_aquaculture_situation_and_outlook_report_2016.pdf" target="_blank">nearly $2 million in sales in 2016</a>. In recent years Alabama has ranked among the top five states in per-unit value.<br>
</p><p><strong>Reasons to Diversify</strong></p><p>
Raising off-bottom oysters is good for more than oystermen's bottom lines. Oysters improve water clarity by filtering out phytoplankton, thereby removing nitrogen from the water column. They also provide forage grounds and habitat for fish and act as breakwaters, protecting nearby shorelines.
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Off-bottom farms deliver the same types of benefits as traditional on-bottom reefs, although in slightly different ways and at different times, depending on local conditions and farming methods. In our view, raising oysters in multiple ways is beneficial because it avoids putting all of our eggs in one basket, so to speak, and makes the industry more resilient.
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We come at this topic from different perspectives. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yPXqOj8AAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">Daniel Petrolia</a> focuses on the economics of <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3368/le.92.2.292" target="_blank">coastal resources</a> and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3368/le.91.2.272" target="_blank">natural hazards</a>. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DzRuv-cAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">William Walton</a> directs Auburn University's <a href="https://mifralabgroup.wixsite.com/home" target="_blank">Marine Invertebrate Fisheries, Restoration and Aquaculture Lab</a>. We have worked together since 2011 to better understand <a href="https://restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/projects/oyster-planning-tool" target="_blank">oyster habitats</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/aae.2016.30" target="_blank">evaluate market opportunities</a> and identify and tackle challenges for the new industry. Disaster preparation and recovery clearly are top priorities.
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We see off-bottom oyster farming as especially interesting economically, given its novelty on the Gulf Coast, the new market opportunities it affords growers and the diversity it brings to the Gulf Coast's oyster habitat "portfolio." It also offers new choices for people who like to eat Gulf Coast oysters.
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<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a202f81c7e0e0f9ec6f37ab71d69cf76"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9iPXluPr7V0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Panacea Oyster Co-op overview</small>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/9iPXluPr7V0" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
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<strong>Natural and Man-Made Disasters<br>
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<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes">Hurricanes</a> and storms pose serious threats to the Gulf oyster industry. They can harm reefs by burying them in sediments or drastically altering water salinity.
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Storm impacts tend to be highly localized. Prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Mississippi was the fourth-largest oyster-producing state in the nation. Katrina <a href="https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/annual-landings/index" target="_blank">slashed the state's output by 80 percent that year</a>, and fishermen were unable to harvest oysters at all in 2006. Production recovered somewhat over the next several years, but Mississippi harvests have remained around one-tenth of pre-Katrina levels.
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Louisiana, whose oyster reefs lie just west of where Katrina made landfall, saw just a 6 percent drop in production following Katrina. The impacts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster were shorter-lived, but Louisiana's 2010 harvest was cut in half due to precautionary closures during and after the spill. Oysters were also killed by releases of fresh water from the Mississippi River, which were conducted in an effort to keep oil out of coastal estuaries.
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Storms are not the only threat. Florida and Georgia have been fighting for decades over <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/Supreme-Court-finally-rules-on-Florida-s-30-year-water-war-with-Georgia-And-it-s-not-over-_169506140" target="_blank">allocating water from the Apalachicola River</a>; when Georgia draws a high level of water, it reduces freshwater flow to Apalachicola Bay, which can lead to increases in oyster mortality from predation and disease. And harmful algal blooms, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-causing-floridas-algae-crisis-5-questions-answered-101305" target="_blank">Florida's massive 2018 red tide outbreak</a>, can close waters to harvesting.
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Beyond direct impacts on oyster farms, Hurricane Michael damaged state laboratories that conduct water quality testing required to re-open waters to harvesting. Testing delays could lead to prolonged closures and even affect areas not hit by the storm. Michael also disrupted red tide sampling in several Panhandle counties. In Gulf and Escambia counties, red tide concentrations actually <a href="http://myfwc.com/RedTideStatus" target="_blank">increased in late October</a>.<br>
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Farmers will be looking for more oyster seed—the small oysters that they need to restock their bags and baskets. This could drive up demand and strain the industry's capacity. Unlike crop farmers on land, oyster farmers cannot buy subsidized insurance to help them with losses of oysters and gear, so those who suffered heavy damage will be challenged to rebuild their operations.
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODgwMzIyMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTU3Mzc2M30.lsTb0EufXwm7xJ3gI53vM5vOWzlsnhiRC9CmXFteqsc/img.jpg?width=980" id="27a6a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="545343f7b7874d7afcc33a71ef298455" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Hurricane Michael failed to break up the red tide outbreak along Florida's west coast. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="http://myfwc.com/RedTideStatus" target="_blank">Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission</a></small>
</p><p>
<strong>Not an Easy Business<br>
</strong></p><p>
As we write, oyster farmers in the Panhandle are still inspecting their farms for damage and seeing how their oysters fared. Some estimate that they may have lost <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hurricane-michael-may-have-dealt-deadly-blow-florida-s-nascent-n922356" target="_blank">60 to 90 percent of their crops</a>.
</p><p>
Oystermen have strategies for dealing with hurricanes, such as sinking baskets loaded with oysters to the bottom before the storm arrives. But they can only reduce risk, not eliminate it. The threat of <a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/publications/techrpt86_PaP_of_HTFlooding.pdf" target="_blank">rising sea levels</a> and <a href="https://opensky.ucar.edu/islandora/object/technotes:552" target="_blank">more intense storms</a> will force them to continue adapting and improving their strategies.
</p><p>
Earlier this year, Cainnon Gregg started selling "Salty Birds" to some of the finest oyster bars in the South. Two days after Hurricane Michael passed through, he was back on the water checking lines and making repairs. "There's nothing easy about any of this, and all you can do is get back out here and get back to work," he said. He could have been speaking for all Gulf oystermen.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-816731185917345792" id="twitter-embed-816731185917345792" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-816731185917345792&created_ts=1483558863.0&screen_name=EcoWatch&text=%23Louisiana+Faces+Faster+Levels+of+Sea-Level+Rise+Than+Any+Other+Land+on+Earth+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FzCuAWpcH7U+%40NRDC+%40RobertKennedyJr+%40Waterkeeper&id=816731185917345792&name=EcoWatch" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="MNTTRJ1576662079"></iframe>
</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/hurricanes-and-water-wars-threaten-the-gulf-coasts-new-high-end-oyster-industry-105479" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em><br></p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/105479/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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Hurricane Michael Damaged U.S. Fighter Jets Worth $6 BIllion, While Trump Neglects Climate Change
26 October 2018
Climate
On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, just over a week after the base was largely destroyed during Hurricane Michael.
<p>The base is home of a fleet of 55 F-22 stealth fighters. Before Hurricane Michael leveled the base, at least 33 of these jets were flown to safety. But at least 17 of the planes, costing $339 million each, were likely left behind and possibly destroyed. </p><p>There are several air bases located right on the coast in storm-prone areas in states in the South where scientists anticipate that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a> induced hurricanes will grow more intense and more frequent. But on Thursday, Mike Pence vowed to rebuild the entire base. </p><p>We speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dave Philipps of the New York Times.</p><p>Watch the interview above.</p><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate </em><em><a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2018/10/26/while_trump_calls_climate_change_a" target="_blank">Democracy Now!</a>.</em></p>
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A NOAA satellite image of Typhoon Yutu as it hit the Island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands. NOAA
Super Typhoon Yutu hammered the U.S. territories in the Northern Mariana Islands early Thursday morning, making it the strongest storm to hit U.S. territory this year, the Associated Press reported.
The storm hit with the power of a Category 5 hurricane when it struck the largest Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan and Tinian, home to 55,000 people, with winds of 174 miles per hour, knocking out power and water and destroying homes, CNN reported.
<p>Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' delegate to U.S. Congress Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan told the Associated press by phone that several people were injured and that the islands would need help to recover from the storm.</p><p>"There's a lot of damage and destruction," Sablan said. "It's like a small war just passed through."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1055128171014709248" id="twitter-embed-1055128171014709248" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1055128171014709248&created_ts=1540397133.0&screen_name=NOAASatellites&text=Check+out+the+eye+of+Super+Typhoon+%23Yutu+in+the+western+Pacific%2C+seen+today+from+%23Himawari-8.+The+ferocious+Categor%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FPSN07OWIxq&id=1055128171014709248&name=NOAA+Satellites" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="9HA4EA1576663325"></iframe>
</p><p>The island of Tinian got a direct hit from the eye of the storm, and National Weather Service meteorologist Brandon Aydlett said both Tinian and Saipan would be unrecognizable after the storm passed. He said he had heard reports of wind tearing off roofs and blowing out windows.<br></p><p>"This is the worst-case scenario. This is why the building codes in the Marianas are so tough," Aydlett said. "This is going to be the storm which sets the scale for which future storms are compared to."</p><p>All of Tinian's shelters are full, as are six of Siapan's 10. There are currently around 200 federal emergency workers helping with recovery, Sablan said. </p><p>Glen Hunter, a 45-year-old who has lived on Saipan most of his life, told the Associated Press by Facebook message that he looked outside his home Thursday morning to find a palm tree uprooted and his neighbor's house of wood and tin entirely vanished. </p><p>"We knew it was going to be big," he wrote, "but wow."</p><p>Saipan resident Lydia Barcinas posted a video on Facebook surveying the damage. </p><p>"My family stayed because we thought it'll be fine," she told CNN. "Now (we are) just trying to find something to eat and drink" and "looking for medicine under the rubble."</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="86e33143ee21e3ac8224f7a35b05b861"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/lydia.barcinas/videos/2356006311080510/" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>Typhoon Yutu is the latest storm of the 2018 season to intensify rapidly over a short period.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1055128646023872514" id="twitter-embed-1055128646023872514" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1055128646023872514&created_ts=1540397247.0&screen_name=SteveBowenWx&text=%23Yutu+is+the+latest+global+storm+to+undergo+explosive+rapid+intensification.+Unbelievable+36-hour+stretch.%0A%0AOct.+23%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2Fqy29Keb0aE&id=1055128646023872514&name=Steve+Bowen" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="UPXXR51576663325"></iframe>
</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/hurricane-michael-florida-panhandle-2611595307.html" target="_self">Hurricane Michael</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/hurricane-willa-mexico-2614511951.html" target="_self">Hurricane Willa</a> also both intensified rapidly before making landfall. More intense storms are predicted as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> leads to warmer ocean temperatures.<br></p><p>Yutu is predicted to retain its intensity for 24 hours, then weaken slightly as it threatens Taiwan and the Philippines, CNN reported.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1034224052242731008" id="twitter-embed-1034224052242731008" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1034224052242731008&created_ts=1535413203.0&screen_name=YEARSofLIVING&text=Hawaii+Devastated+by+Flooding+as+Lane+Rainfall+Nears+U.S.+Record+%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FPEBvKifzv5&id=1034224052242731008&name=The+YEARS+Project" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="U6QJV01576663325"></iframe>
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Storm debris litters the town after Hurricane Michael on Oct. 13 in Mexico Beach, Florida. Scott Olson / Getty Images
The death toll from Hurricane Michael climbed to 18 Saturday after a victim was discovered in Virginia, but officials think it could climb higher still as search and rescue efforts continue in the most hard hit areas around the Florida Panhandle, CNN reported.
Panama City Fire Department Battalion Chief David Collier told CNN he thought the final death toll just in his city and surrounding communities could reach the double digits.
<p>"Unfortunately, we're probably still going to find people in the coming weeks," Collier told CNN. </p><p>He said that national and state rapid response teams had done an initial sweep of the area, but could not access everywhere that was destroyed. </p><p>Florida Governor Rick Scott said about 1,700 search and rescue personnel had checked 25,000 homes, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/with-death-toll-at-15-searches-intensify-in-wake-of-hurricane-michael_us_5bc29d4ce4b0bd9ed55ab6b0" target="_blank">the Associated Press reported Saturday</a>. </p><p>In a Saturday evening address, Scott further said that more than 1,800 law enforcement officers, 400 ambulances and 700 staff had been sent to Florida's Panhandle and Big Ben, and that 4,000 soldiers and airmen with the Florida National Guard had been activated to help with rescue operations, road clearing and supply delivery, CNN reported. </p><p>But for residents in the hardest hit areas, real help was still too slow to come, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/no-food-no-fema-hurricane-michaels-survivors-are-furious" target="_blank">The Daily Beast</a> reported from Panama City. </p><p>As of Saturday morning, they reported that there was no power or water in the city, and no sign of a large presence from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). </p><p>"We're not getting any help," storm survivor Barbara Sanders told The Daily Beast. "We need food. It's just crazy."</p><p>Police had only stopped by to say there was nothing they could do and to advise people to leave.</p><p>However, ordinary citizens had stepped up to the plate. Two brothers named Chris and Brendon Hill drove over in a pickup truck filled with water from Louisiana. In Panama City Beach, volunteers set up a kitchen for police, brought water and prepared 1,500 meals to distribute to local residents. </p><p>"The American people are helping us," Panama City Beach city manager Mario Gisbert said. "FEMA will eventually come into the game and get the accolades in six months."</p><p>Federal, state and local officials, meanwhile, were operating out of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Gulf Coast State College and were working out how to distribute food and water as quickly as possible, but EOC spokesperson Catie Feenie said they were still focused on coordinating rescue efforts. </p><p>"We're telling everybody to save [food and water] because it will be days before we're ready to do that," Feenie told The Daily Beast. </p><p>There are currently two open food and water distribution centers, with more on the way, CNN reported. Scott further tweeted Saturday evening that 142,000 gallons of water and around 174,000 ready made meals had been delivered to affected areas.</p><p>But full recovery will take a long time for a region recuperating from one of the strongest <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes" target="_blank">hurricanes</a> to hit the U.S. in recorded history. More intense hurricanes like Michael are one of the projected impacts of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a>.</p><p>The town of Mexico Beach was essentially reduced to rubble. </p><p>"Seventy-five percent of our city is not here," Mexico Beach Mayor Al Cathey told CNN. "There's not one local business that's operational." He has been told it could take two months to restore power. </p><p>Overall, the storm knocked out power for 757,000 people in seven states. </p>For some Florida schoolchildren, normalcy could take even longer to be restored. Bay District School Board Vice Chairman Steve Moss, whose district includes Panama City, said that Michael would displace students from 25 of the district's 38 schools, some for years. Scott said seven districts across Florida were closed until further notice.<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1050446013171929088" id="twitter-embed-1050446013171929088" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1050446013171929088&created_ts=1539280820.0&screen_name=greenpeaceusa&text=Hurricane+Michael+will+go+down+in+history+as+the+third-strongest+to+hit+the+continental+US+in+recorded+history.+Jus%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F7s25VpbpG5&id=1050446013171929088&name=Greenpeace+USA" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="G02NSB1576663335"></iframe>
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Trump at the 2018 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, MD on Feb. 23. Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0
President Donald Trump once again cast doubt on human contribution to climate change and accused climate scientists of having a "political agenda" during his interview with CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday.
"Do you still think that climate change is a hoax?" correspondent Lesley Stahl asked the president point-blank.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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"I think something's happening. Something's changing and it'll change back again," he responded. "I don't think it's a hoax. I think there's probably a difference. But I don't know that it's manmade. I will say this: I don't want to give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don't want to lose millions and millions of jobs."
</p><p>
The president's remarks come as Florida grapples with recovery after
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricane-michael">Hurricane Michael</a>, which was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/hurricane-michael-florida-panhandle-2611595307.html">fueled by unusually warm waters</a> in the Gulf of Mexico, and a week after the United Nations' scientific panel issued a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-ipcc-report-2610866229.html">dire climate report</a> urging a drastic reduction in carbon emissions and phasing out <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuels</a> to limit catastrophic global warming.
</p><p>
"I wish you could go to Greenland, watch these huge chunks of ice just falling into the ocean, raising the sea levels," Stahl commented.
</p><p>
"And you don't know whether or not that would have happened with or without man. You don't know," Trump said.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
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</p><p>
Trump infamously intends to withdraw the U.S. from the
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a>, a landmark global accord to reduce <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/greenhouse-gases">greenhouse gas</a> emissions. He says that the Paris deal could harm the American economy and kill jobs.
</p><p>
In an environmental impact statement released last month, the Trump administration acknowledged the existence of climate change and sees a 7-degree rise in global temperature by 2100,
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-sees-a-7-degree-rise-in-global-temperatures-by-2100/2018/09/27/b9c6fada-bb45-11e8-bdc0-90f81cc58c5d_story.html?utm_term=.1e5d36110cbf" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported. However, it used that acknowledgement to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-admin-admits-defeat-as-it-predicts-dangerous-7-degrees-fahrenheit-of-global-warming-2609228687.html" target="_blank">draw a surprising conclusion</a>. Basically, as one climate scientist explained, "they're not going to do anything about it."
</p><p>
Stahl pointed out to the president that
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-global-temperatures-noaa-2569919615.html">his own scientists</a> at NOAA and NASA have reported otherwise, but Trump shot back that other scientists disagree.
</p><p>
"I'm not denying climate change," he said. "But it could very well go back. You know, we're talkin' about over a millions of years. They say that we had hurricanes that were far worse than what we just had with Michael."
</p><p>
"But what about the scientists who say it's worse than ever?" Stahl challenged.
</p><p>
Although manmade climate change is supported by an overwhelming level of scientific consensus, Trump questioned their political motives.
</p><p>
"You'd have to show me the scientists because they have a very big political agenda, Lesley," he said. "Look, scientists also have a political agenda."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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</p><p>
Trump's comments are similar to ones made by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Sunday during an interview with CNN (via
<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marco-rubio-says-he-wont-destroy-our-economy-for-climate-change_us_5bc3af1de4b040bb4e837770" target="_blank">HuffPost</a>) after a record-breaking Category 4 storm devastated the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday.
</p><p>
When host Jake Tapper asked Rubio if he believed that climate change was partly caused by man, Rubio responded, "Look, scientists are saying that humanity and its behavior is contributing toward that. I can't tell you what percentage of that is human activity. And I think many scientists would debate the percentage of what is attributable to man versus normal fluctuations."
</p><p>
Although Rubio acknowledged that sea levels are rising and ocean warming is measurable, he resisted taking large-scale climate action.
</p><p>
"We're going to have to do something about the impact that it's having on low-level coastal areas, and that means mitigation—hardening, lifting, how we manage water. We're all over that," Rubio said.
</p><p>
<span></span>"But I'm also not going to destroy our economy," added. "There's a reality here. There's a balance on that end of it that we need to be focused on."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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Damage from Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Florida Panhandle Wednesday afternoon, leaving two dead and nearly 500,000 without power as it rammed through Florida, Georgia and Alabama, BBC News reported.
With winds of 155 miles per hour, it was the third strongest storm in recorded history to hit the U.S. and the strongest ever to hit the affected area, The Washington Post reported.
<p>"We are catching some hell," Timothy Thomas, who stayed with his wife in his home in Panama City, Florida to ride out the storm, told the Associated Press, as BBC News reported.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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</p><p>The storm rapidly intensified from a tropical depression Sunday because of warmer than average waters in the Gulf of Mexico, an effect consistent with predictions about the impact of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> on hurricanes. A 2013 study found that waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico had gotten warmer in the past century than would be expected given natural variability, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/climate/hurricane-michael-climate-change.html" target="_blank">The New York Times pointed out</a>.<br></p><p>"There is a pretty strong consensus [among scientists] that the frequency of the high category events like Michael, in most parts of the world, should go up as a result of climate warming," Massachusetts Institute of Technology atmospheric science professor Kerry A. Emanuel told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/10/health/sutter-natural-disaster-hurricane-michael/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>Michael first made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida at 2 p.m. local time and brought a storm surge of up to eight feet to the coastal city of Apalachicola, BBC News reported. </p><p>Winds blew the roofs off of houses in Mexico Beach and further devastated Panama City, where the eye moved next. Windows were blown out of buildings and others were destroyed entirely by wind or downed power lines and trees, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/10/us/hurricane-michael-wxc/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p><div id="5426e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="NT84PD1576663341"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Letisia Maloney on Instagram: “Cedar point plaza Callaway fl
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</div></blockquote></div><p>Most building codes aren't designed to withstand 155 mile-per-hour winds, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock Long told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/10/us/hurricane-michael-dangers/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.<br></p><p>"Unfortunately, this is a hurricane of the worst kind," Long said.</p><p>Both of the reported deaths were caused by falling trees. One man was killed by a tree in Gadsden County, Florida, and a child was killed in Seminole County, Georgia when a tree fell on a home, BBC News reported.</p><p>The storm weakened as it headed inland and was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday. As of Thursday morning it was over eastern Georgia and expected to move into central South Carolina, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tropical-storm-michael_us_5bbed9d5e4b0b27cf47a7ed3" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>. </p><p>While the wind speed has been reduced to 50 miles per hour, winds, potential tornadoes and heavy rain still posed a threat, especially to parts of the Carolinas still recovering from the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_blank">flooding</a> of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/florence-flooding-carolinas-2605635654.html" target="_self">Hurricane Florence</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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Category 4 Hurricane Michael Could be Strongest Storm to Hit Florida Panhandle in Recorded History
10 October 2018
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People look out to the Gulf of Mexico as Hurricane Michael approaches Oct. 9 in Panama City Beach, FL. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / Getty Images
Hurricane Michael intensified into a Category 4 storm early Wednesday morning as it whirled towards the Florida Panhandle, where it is expected to make landfall this afternoon, CNN reported.
If it retains its strength, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said it could be the strongest hurricane to hit the Panhandle in recorded history. It could also be the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. this year.
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</p><p>"I guess it's the worst case scenario. I don't think anyone would have experienced this in the Panhandle," meteorologist Ryan Maue of weathermodels.com told <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hurricane-michael-florida-panhandle_us_5bbd8e4ce4b01470d056c6fb" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>. "This is going to have structure damaging winds along the coast and hurricane force winds inland."<a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">The National Hurricane Center</a> called the storm "extremely dangerous" and "life threatening."</p><p><a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">The National Hurricane Center</a> called the storm "extremely dangerous" and "life threatening."<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><p>Florida officials ordered about 375,000 people living in 22 counties from the Panhandle into north central Florida to evacuate, but Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford expressed concern that not enough people were following the order.<br></p><p style="">"I am not seeing the level of traffic on the roadways that I would expect when we've called for the evacuation of 75 percent of this county," he told The Associated Press.</p><p style="">The National Hurricane Center <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/100555.shtml" target="_blank">warned</a> that the stretch of the Florida Gulf Coast from Mexico to Keaton Beach could see a storm surge of 9 to 13 feet. </p><p style="">Florida Governor Rick Scott took to Twitter to urge people to evacuate. "The decisions you & your family make over the coming hours could be the difference between life & death," he wrote.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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</p><p>He further warned the storm surge "means that the water will come miles in shore and could easily be over the roofs of houses," CNN reported.<br></p><p style="">His opponent in the Florida Senate race, Democrat Bill Nelson, agreed with him on the issue of evacuation.</p><p>"Don't think that you can ride this out if you're in a low-lying area," Nelson said on CNN, The Associated Press reported.</p><p style="">Scott has declared a state of emergency in 35 counties and mobilized 2,500 members of the National Guard, CNN reported. </p><p style="">In addition to the storm surge, Michael could bring 12 inches of rain to Florida's Panhandle and Big Bend, as well as southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia. Southern Virginia, as well as parts of the Carolinas recently inundated by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/florence-flooding-carolinas-2605635654.html" target="_blank">rainfall from Hurricane Florence</a>, could get up to six inches of rain.</p><p style="">Strong winds are also predicted for Florida, southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia, and the storm could spawn tornadoes Wednesday and Thursday. </p><p style="">The Florida Panhandle has only seen three major hurricanes in the past half-century: Eloise in 1975, Opal in 1995 and Dennis in 2005.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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