page_title: Hurricane Michael
section_title: Bay County
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Michael / Impact / United States / Florida / Bay County
caption_attribution_description: PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Hurricane Michael damage as seen Oct. 21, 2018 in Panama City.
context_page_description: Hurricane Michael was a very powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that became the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the contiguous United States since Andrew in 1992. In addition, it was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States in terms of pressure, behind the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and Hurricane Camille in 1969. It was the first Category 5 hurricane on record to impact the Florida Panhandle, the fourth-strongest landfalling hurricane in the contiguous United States, in terms of wind speed, and was the most intense hurricane on record to strike the United States in the month of October.
  The thirteenth named storm, seventh hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Michael originated from a broad low-pressure area that formed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on October 1. The disturbance became a tropical depression on October 7, after nearly a week of slow development. By the next day, Michael had intensified into a hurricane near the western tip of Cuba, as it moved northward. The hurricane rapidly intensified in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching major hurricane status on October 9.
context_section_description: Catastrophic and widespread damage occurred in Bay County, where Michael made landfall; 45,000 structures were damaged and 1,500 were destroyed throughout the county. Two hospitals—Bay Medical Sacred Heart and Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center—suffered significant damage. Approximately 19.5 mi (31.4 km) of the 41.2 mi (66.3 km) Bay County coastline, which includes Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach, sustained critical beach erosion. Sensor data and high water marks surveyed by the United States Geological Survey indicated that water inundation at Mexico Beach reached a depth of 14 ft (4.3 m) above ground level, classifying Michael's surge at Mexico Beach as a 1-in-280 year event. Mexico Beach was the community most heavily impacted by Hurricane Michael and experienced both the hurricane's maximum winds and surge; Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long described the city as "probably ground zero." Of the 1,692 buildings in the city, 1,584 were damaged and 809 among those were destroyed. Waves augmented by the elevated waters damaged the second-stories of buildings and carried boats inland. Along the immediate coast, the combination of surge and extreme winds whittled buildings down to piles of debris and left their concrete slab foundations exposed. Those that remained intact were crumpled and contorted or were eventually razed by unattended fires that began during the storm. Beach houses were severed from their pilings and the city's public pier succumbed to the intense surf. Some staircases remained standing without their associated houses. Debris from various razed structures accumulated on U.S. Route 98, whose pavement was partially washed out by Michael. The road remained closed for nearly a year before repairs completed. Boats were broken in half and 33-short-ton (30 t) rail cars were toppled. It was estimated that as many as 285 residents of the small town may have stayed despite mandatory evacuations. Three drownings occurred in or near Mexico Beach. 
  Significant structural damage was wrought to Tyndall Air Force Base. Due to the base's location on the left side of Michael's eye, damage there was primarily due to the force of the winds rather than storm surge. Every building was damaged and many were considered a complete loss by the base administration; the base's marina was also destroyed. Of the damaged buildings, 484 were considered destroyed or beyond repair; $648 million was later allocated in repairs for the remaining structures. Vehicles were tossed through parking lots and destroyed, and an McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon used for display were flipped and damaged. Most hangars, including those that housed Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors, were fully unroofed and battered by the strong winds. The 17 Raptors that remained at the base remained relatively unscathed and were brought to airworthy condition within a few days. The base's power, water, and sewage systems were downed, rendering the base uninhabitable. The flight line and drone runway was crippled. The damage toll inflicted to installations at the base reached $3 billion. Large forests in the area were almost entirely flattened to the ground, while trees that remained standing on and around the base were completely stripped and denuded. Three-fourths of the longleaf pine trees on the base were sheared in half, equating to $14 million in harvestable timber losses. Parts of the gymnasium of a nearby elementary school were also unroofed. 
  An estimated ten to twenty thousand people were displaced by the storm in Panama City, of which one thousand remained at three area shelters. The Panama City area was buffeted by gusts as high as 164 mph (264 km/h), inflicting roof damage and tearing the aluminum siding off of most homes and businesses; at least 90% of all structures and 69% of homes were damaged. Further damage was caused by trees falling upon roofs. A gas leak at an unroofed motel endangered guests who had sought shelter inside. Nine people were rescued by a helicopter after their house's roo
caption: Widespread wind damage occurred throughout the Panama City area.
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