Long-time Panama City business recycled hurricane debris

Sep. 30--PANAMA CITY -- A long-time recycling company in Panama City handled a lot of storm debris for at least six months after Hurricane Michael -- an amount manager Michael DeJohn estimates was at least 50% to 60% more than they usually purchase in a normal six-month period.

Coastal Metals on 15th Street, which has been around for approximately 50 years, was busy after the Category 5 storm decimated Panama City and surrounding areas.

"I think the majority of material we saw was what we classify in our businesses as tin/appliances," DeJohn said. "It was buildings that were demolished, residential houses that were destroyed."

That debris was sold to steel mills in the Southeast. The strong winds from Hurricane Michael severely damaged buildings, with some still missing walls and roofs nearly a year after landfall.

"As soon as the storm was over with, we officially opened back up Monday," DeJohn said. The storm hit on a Wednesday. "Everybody was accounted for. Everybody showed up. We just tried to do the best we could with what we had. Everybody was still kind of in shock."

The influx of debris came from demolition companies and people bringing in scrap metal displaced throughout Bay County. The store initially had to cut back hours so they had time to safely process the material.

Coastal Metals operated on generators for at least a month. Generators were initially a common power source for businesses and residents who waited for the power to come back on.

"We didn't have a choice," DeJohn said. "Our employees and team did a fantastic job."

The debris was bulky and took up a lot of room, which created challenges with storing the material.

"This is what we do every day, just on a larger scale for a few months," DeJohn said. "We were prepared as much as we could be prepared."

Now, as the one-year anniversary approaches, DeJohn said that influx has slowed down some and business has returned to normal. However, DeJohn said demolition companies could come in as people settle insurance claims.

Coastal Metals itself was not immune to damage.

"We've taken over $300,000 worth of damage that we're still battling with insurance to have repaired," DeJohn said. "Roof damage, siding damage, electrical damage. Our whole front fence was knocked down. We had two trucks totaled out. Pine trees were on top of them. I had some equipment damaged."

A storm like Hurricane Michael is something DeJohn hopes no one has to go through again.

"It was chaos there for a little while," DeJohn said. "I've never seen anything like this. I remember coming here and checking on the business the day after the storm, driving around power lines."

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