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Five years after Hurricane Michael: Bay County officials host commemoration events

In this Oct. 11, 2018 file photo, rescue personnel perform a search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Gerald Herbert/AP
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AP
In this Oct. 11, 2018 file photo, rescue personnel perform a search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

The category-five storm hit Florida’s Panhandle back in 2018 causing widespread devastation.

Local disaster recovery organization Rebuild Bay County, kicked off its community commemoration events last Friday with an art show and will continue through Oct. 19th.

Donna Pilson, the organization's executive director, said that she hopes the community will have a chance to look towards the future rather than dwell on the past.

“We don’t want to spend too much time talking about the devastation," said Pilson. "This is about the recovery and the things that we are doing. That’s what being resilient is about.”

The organization will continue its event with a community dinner and a recognition event; before wrapping things up with an informative interactive exhibit at the county library. That event will include a children’s learning center and a real-life hurricane simulator for every person to try.

More information about each event can be found on www.rebuildbaycounty.org or by calling their main line 850-215-8702.

Adrian Andrews is a multimedia journalist with WFSU Public Media. He is a Gadsden County native and a first-generation college graduate from Florida A&M University. Adrian is also a military veteran, ending his career as a Florida Army National Guard Non-Comissioned Officer.

Adrian has experience in print writing, digital content creation, documentary, and film production. He has spent the last four years on the staff of several award-winning publications such as The Famuan, Gadsden County News Corp, and Cumulus Media before joining the WFSU news team.