4 days after storm, large swath of Panhandle suffering

Crews with backhoes and other heavy equipment scooped up splintered boards, broken glass, chunks of asphalt and other debris in hurricane-flattened Mexico Beach on Sunday as the mayor held out hope for the 250 or so residents who may have tried to ride out the storm. The death toll from Michael's destructive march from Florida to Virginia stood at 17, with just one confirmed death so far in this Florida Panhandle town of about 1,000 people that took a direct hit from the hurricane and its 155 mph winds last week.

Hurricane Michael death toll hits 13

Damaged boats sit among debris in a marina in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida on Oct 12, 2018. MEXICO BEACH: The death toll from Hurricane Michael rose to at least 13 on Friday amid fears it would continue to climb as search-and-rescue teams scour the debris of the Florida town that bore the brunt of the monster storm.

You Just Realize It’s All Gone’: Hurricane Michael’s Heavy Toll

One of the most powerful storms to ever strike the U.S. erased entire neighborhoods and leveled communities; 'it looks apocalyptic' A man picked through the remains of an apartment building in Panama City, Fla., where Hurricane Michael left widespread destruction. PANAMA CITY, Fla.-Ashlee and B. Cody Shields bought a house in June and were transforming it into the dream home where one day, they hoped, they would raise children.

AP Photos: Hurricane leaves Florida’s Mexico Beach in shreds

Hurricane Michael all but erased the tiny community of Mexico Beach on Florida's Gulf Coast, reducing some homes to mere concrete slabs and leaving others in shreds. Rescuers and residents struggled Thursday to get into town to assess the damage and search for the missing after it was slammed by 155 mph winds and a 9-foot storm surge.

Panel: U.S. Lacks a Grand Strategy to Counter China

An experimental Navy catamaran is fighting Hurricane Michael in the bay of Panama City, Fla., unable to take to sea to avoid the Category 4 storm that made landfall early afternoon on Wednesday. The 950-ton Sea Fighter is at double anchor in the bay, "engines running and nose to the wind" with a minimal crew aboard, Office of Navy Research spokesman Robert Freeman told USNI News on Wednesday.