Now a week after Hurricane Michael made landfall, many communities in Florida’s panhandle are reeling from the damage. FEMA officials continue to conduct search and rescue missions throughout the Florida Panhandle. The storm’s one hundred and fifty mile per hour winds devastated parts of the Southeast.
Jerry Seaton and her family chose to ride out the storm at home in Marianna, 56 miles from Panama City, Florida. She recalls standing in her kitchen, watching as the wind hurled trees into their home. After the storm, she says debris trapped the family on their property.
“It took us five days to dig ourselves out, just to get a vehicle through the trees that was there. Nobody knew we were down there”, she said.
Seaton and her family weren’t under an order to evacuate. For Seaton, this storm was a wake up call. Next time a Hurricane comes this way, she says her bag is packed and she’s gone.
