Florida: Grim search through ruined landscape after Michael
Michael, so powerful that it remained a hurricane for 12 hours after making landfall in
Authorities reported 11 deaths as of Friday, with
Surging water filled their first floor, now muddy and ruined. They're surrounded now by devastation: fishing boats and cars tossed like toys, empty slabs where people hopefully escaped before houses exploded in 155 mph (249 kph) winds and were washed away by the storm surge.
Row after row of beachfront homes were obliterated by the epic Category 4 hurricane. The destruction along
"All of my furniture was floating," said Marquardt, 67. "A river just started coming down the road. It was awful, and now there's just nothing left."
All told, more than 900,000 homes and businesses in
Thousands of
Most of
A small "ride-out" team that hunkered down as the hurricane's destructive eyewall passed directly overhead ventured out to find nearly every building severely damaged, many a complete loss. The elementary school, the flight line, the marina, the runways -- all were devastated.
"I will not recall you and your families until we can guarantee your safety. At this time I can't tell you how long that will take, but I'm on it," Laidlaw said.
"So many lives have been changed forever. So many families have lost everything," he lamented.
An insurance company that produces models for catastrophes estimated the damage at
Michael also was deadly.
A man outside
Michael then blew through
A
Other people were pulled to safety from wrecks and flash floods across the Carolinas and
Some fear the toll can only rise as rescue teams reach isolated areas and work through storm debris.
More than 375,000 people up and down the
Now they have the grim task of accounting for all who stayed behind.
"Do you think her body would be here? Do you think it would have floated away?" McPherson asked.
Contributors in
For the latest on Hurricane Michael, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes



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