clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
A woman walks out of the remains of her second floor apartment in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael October 11, 2018 in Panama City, Florida.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Photos: what Hurricane Michael’s destruction looks like on the ground

The storm hit as a very powerful Category 4 with 155 mph winds.

By Brian Resnick Updated

Hurricane Michael made a dramatic landfall Wednesday afternoon as a fiercer-than-expected Category 4 storm.

After landing near Mexico Beach and Panama City in Florida, Michael continued to move. The storm entered Georgia Wednesday, still a Category 2 hurricane. Its remnants continued up the coast, bringing a huge amount of rain and flooding to many states on the Eastern seaboard.

Michael was the most powerful storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle — with 155 mph winds and 9 to 14 feet of storm surge in some areas — and it shows. At least 14 people died as result of the storm, including a 11-year-old girl in Southwest Georgia who died when storm debris crashed into her home. Seven died when the remnants of the storm passed through Virginia — four of the deaths were due to flooding.

More than 800,000 customers across five states are without power. And many, many homes and business have been completely destroyed. We’ll know more about the total costs and toll of the storm in the coming days.

As measured by barometric pressure, Michael was one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in the US.

Local news reporters, storm chasers, photo journalists, and meteorologists are have been sharing images from the ground on what was left in Michael’s wake. It looks like a tornado hit some of these areas.

A destroyed gymnasium in Panama City, Florida.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images
A flooded street in Panama City, Florida.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Hurricane Michael Slams Into Florida’s Panhandle Region
Damaged buildings and a flooded street in Panama City Beach
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A woman inspects damages to her family properties in the Panama City, Florida.
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images
Damaged homes in Panama City Beach
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post
A man looks through his family’s roofless apartment in Panama City.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Florida Panhandle Faces Major Destruction After Hurricane Michael Hits As Category 4 Storm
A home in Mexico Beach, Florida
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

We have a request

Vox's journalism is free because we believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, consumers and stewards of this planet. In short, understanding benefits everyone. You can join in on this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Reader support helps keep our work free, for everyone. Will you join us?

Yes, I'll give $120/year

In This Stream

Hurricane Michael threatens the Florida Panhandle

View all 8 stories
Science

Yes, there was just a tornado near Los Angeles. Is climate change to blame?

The Highlight

How will we feed Earth’s rising population? Ask the Dutch.

The Highlight

We need the right kind of climate optimism

View all stories in Climate