Hurricane Michael death toll rises to 26, many of them in Florida

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Florida officials announced Tuesday that Hurricane Michael has killed 16 people in the state.

In total, the storm has killed 26 people across four southern US states, officials said.

Nine more dead were added to Florida's toll on Tuesday afternoon. One was a man whose body was discovered by a search dog in the decimated city of Mexico Beach on the Florida Panhandle.

While most of Mexico Beach lies in ruins, many evacuated residents still haven't seen what's left of their homes. They've had to wait for authorities to secure the area and complete search-and-rescue efforts before returning home.

That will change Wednesday, when residents will be allowed back to Mexico Beach, city officials said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hurricane-michael-death-toll-rises-to-26-many-of-them-in-florida/ar-BBOsbTX?li=BBnb7Kz

[RockRaven]

1. FEMA and Rick Scott are pulling a Trump-Puerto Rico-Hurricane Maria maneuver

and trying to minimize (or at least slow-roll) the death acknowledgements because of the election.

[Totally Tunsie]

2. I fear some may never be found...

perhaps taken out by the storm surge.

[malaise]

6. Yep

Complete homes went into the Gulf of Mexico

[techne7319]

3. The reality of the situation

Sadly, there are hundreds of people that likely lost their lives in Michael. I live nearby (within 30 miles). I know family members of several first responders that are reporting a much grimmer scene than what is officially being presented. From the sounds of it FEMA hasn’t done anything yet. The majority of the assistance at this point is being carried out by first responders and members of surrounding communities and counties who are doing everything from clearing/cleaning debris, providing meals, trying to locate people. Things are not good. Not to take away from the importance of the midterm elections, but the real needs of these people and lack of recovery efforts are not being covered by the media at all.

[Phoenix61]

4. I have a friend who lives in Mexico Beach

She got to her home today and will be able to rebuild. One reason there is such difficulty locating people is there is no Verizon cell phone service in the area. It's also making it difficult for first responders to communicate.

[csziggy]

5. Our nephew reported that AT&T is giving away SIM cards and phones

To those who are not able to use their Verizon accounts. Verizon lost a huge part of their network there with destroyed towers and destruction of their fiber optic system.

I don't know more specifics, but the information may be able to help anyone in the area.

My husband is driving over tomorrow - his family is in Panama City. None of them have power. The worst damage is to their mother's house which was supposed to be put up for sale the day that Michael hit. The new metal roof was simply peeled off the top. Most of the old shingle roof is still intact, but they are getting a heavy duty tarp to protect the interior. Their mother passed away in January 2017 so they really wanted to get the house sold.

If anyone in that area needs a house that is in livable condition, PM me. This house is near the bay and has survived this storm with really minor damage. The roof will be covered by the homeowner's insurance and maybe some help from FEMA.

[mcar]

7. Not a surprise

I expect many more will be found, and some just washed out to sea.

[gratuitous]

8. If your impulse is to donate money

Which is good, but make sure your money goes to a reputable relief agency. If you've never heard of some outfit before, check them out on Charity Navigator. Or give to an agency you've heard of before.

If you're stumped, I offer Children's Disaster Services (CDS) for your consideration. Begun in 1980 as a ministry/service of the Church of the Brethren, CDS volunteers set up certified child care centers at relief centers so that parents can go around to the various relief agencies, signing up and getting benefits without also having to manage their children. Volunteers are trained to offer a safe space for children going through the trauma of a natural disaster. More information here:

http://www.brethren.org/cds/

One of the stories on the front page has to do with the center CDS set up in McAllen, Texas. Our pastor's father did a two week stint there recently, and shared some photos and his experiences working there. CDS came to that facility late, but after they'd been there a few days, they had set up a quiet, secure place for children who were going through every 36 hours or so. A local volunteer came in just a couple of days after they'd set up and was talking to one of the managers in another part of the building. She asked the manager what had happened to all the children? The manager pointed her in the direction of the other room, where everyone was quietly busy with various activities. The woman thought the children had all been moved away because there was no cacophonous noise.

CDS does good, valuable work, and a dollar donated to them goes a long, long ways.