365 days ago, residents around Panama City experienced the worst storm to hit their communities in recorded history. Lives were lost on October 10th and in the aftermath. Many more have changed forever. Recovery has been very slow to occur. Those that remain in the area face significant challenges.
Forecast models had been indicating the potential for Michael to develop well in advance. My first tweet about the threat was October 2nd:
However, it took until about the time this system formed into a tropical depression for model data to latch on to this likely becoming an extremely dangerous and historic storm for parts of the region. The first forecasts when the disturbance was classified as Potential Tropical Cyclone Fourteen (Saturday, October 6th) were for a landfall in the strong tropical storm range. I will never forget watching the latest European (ECMWF) model run come in during the early hours of Sunday, October 7th. The very reliable model showed Michael as a major hurricane and the potential for devastating winds to occur in the Florida Panhandle. As confidence increased in this catastrophic scenario, official forecasts shifted in line with this thinking. The storm rapidly intensified as it approached the state.
Conditions deteriorated as the National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued an Extreme Wind Warning for the first time ever. Parts of the eyewall moved onshore and into areas around Panama City and Mexico Beach:
Major Hurricane Michael (upgraded to Category 5 strength in post-storm analysis) made landfall near Tyndall Air Force at about 12:30PM CT in the Florida Panhandle. Wind and storm surge caused devastation in the Panama City area. As the storm tracked through the region, extreme impacts even occurred across Gadsden and Liberty counties and into parts of Southwest Georgia where a 115 mph wind gust was recorded in Donalsonville. The National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Cyclone Report indicated that between Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Jackson counties, around 3,000 structures were completely destroyed. Even 49 were reported destroyed in the immediate Albany area. Despite not being in the eyewall of Michael, strong winds still knocked out electricity to many around Tallahassee for days.
Take a look at a few photos of the devastation I captured in the Panama City area back in December:
