As the cleanup and long restoration effort begins in the Florida Panhandle after this week's devastating Hurricane Michael destroyed Mexico Beach and severely damaged Panama City, many residents requiring food and water are now finding relief thanks for support efforts from state and federal governments.
Beginning at sunrise today, multiple food (providing meals) and water distribution centers were in action throughout in Panama City and into Mexico Beach, the hardest hit areas when Category 4 Michael stormed ashore on Wednesday. It was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit the United States.
These locations listed below are providing food and water throughout Bay County (according to the News-Herald and other sources):
Lucille Moore Elementary School – 1900 Michigan Ave., Panama City
Bozeman Learning Center – 13410 State 77
Parker Elementary School – 640 S. Hwy 22, Panama City
Rosenwald Middle School – 924 Bay Ave., Panama City
Cherry Street Elementary – 1125 Cherry St., Panama City
Super Wal-Mart – 2101 State 77
The PODs will serve from sunup to sundown, while the curfew is in effect, and will continue to serve food as needed.
The Salvation Army will continue feeding people with its mobile kitchens, currently set up and serving at the following locations:
The Salvation Army - 1824 W. 15th Street, Panama City
Cedar Grove Elementary School - 2826 15th St., Panama City
Winn Dixie Lynn Haven - 1812 Lynn Haven Pkwy., Lynn Haven
Super Wal-Mart, Callaway - 725 N. Tyndall Pkwy., Callaway
Parking lot at MLK and 14th St., Panama City
Jinks Middle School - 600 W. 11th St., Panama City
Old KMart (parking lot at the foot of the Hathaway Bridge) - 7100 U.S. 98, Panama City Beach
Corner of Highway 2301 and 231
Mexico Beach City Hall - 201 Paradise Path, Mexico Beach
Also, Hancock Bank on 23rd Street in Panama City is cooking in their parking lot and providing free food starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and they will have a mobile bank on site, according to newsherald.com
Meanwhile, search and rescue efforts continued amid the severe damage in Mexico Beach on Saturday, as crews looked to find survivors who might be trapped in debris from destroyed buildings.
The AP reported that "tempers are flaring, and the electric utility is warning that power could be out for weeks."
"Crews with dogs went door-to-door in Mexico Beach and pushed aside debris to get inside badly damage structures in a second wave of searches following what they described as an initial, 'hasty' search of the area," the AP reported.
"Authorities say there is little doubt the death toll will rise from the storm, which made landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds (249 kph) and heavy storm surge. The tally of lives lost across the South stood at 14, including the victim found in the rubble of Mexico Beach, where about 1,000 people live."
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