Hurricane Michael: Trump announces Florida and Georgia visit as states reel from devastating storm damage
The storm has left a death toll of at least 16, with the count expected to rise
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Your support makes all the difference.At least 16 people have died in the wake of Hurricane Michael, one of the most intense storms ever to hit the United States mainland. The storm, as it moved offshore, left behind scenes of mass devastation.
The death toll is expected to rise in the coming days, or even weeks, in the large swath of the American southeast where Michael’s winds and rains pushed storm surges up to 14 ft and tore homes and businesses to shreds. The deaths include at least five in Virginia and seven in Florida.
Michael may have left American shores, but Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) administrator Brock Long says that he expects more bodies to be discovered as search and rescue efforts continue across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Officials are also working to restore power and services to more than 1.4 million customers who have been left in the dark by the hurricane.
“We’re still in life-safety mode,” Mr Long told CBS News on Friday. “We’re not even close to having discussions on rebuilding yet."
President Donald Trump said he would be visiting both Florida and Georgia next week.
In Mexico Beach and Panama Beach, Florida – communities felt the worst of the storm – entire neighbourhoods were levelled after the storm smashed through the area, leaving behind rubble and the occasional home or business that had somehow, improbably remained intact. But far inland from there, too, the storm topped walls and tore off roofs.
Search teams continue to pick their way through the ruins of Mexico Beach, a city of about 1,000 people. State officials said that by one count, 285 people in the area defied mandatory evacuation orders and stayed behind. Whether any of them got out at some point was unclear.
State emergency officials said they have received thousands of calls asking about missing people, but confirmation of those missing has been hampered by a lack of mobile phone service.
Governor Rick Scott said state officials still “do not know enough” about the fate of those who stayed behind in the region.
“We are not completely done. We are still getting down there,” the governor added.
If you want to see how the day unfolded, see our live blog below.
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The death toll is now 13- with officials expecting that number to rise.
A number of methods have been used to make sure supplies can get to those affected by the hurricane in Florida - including small planes.
The latest deaths are two people who were killed in Marion, North Carolina when their vehicle struck a tree that had fallen due to high winds, said Adrienne Jones, the deputy director for the McDowell County Emergency Medical Services.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has said in a news conference today that Tropical Storm Michael “left behind a long track of damage” to the state.
Satellite images give a sense of the the number of houses affected by the storm:
The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is collecting imagery of the aftermath of the hurricane to help with damage assessment. The images are being collected here:
Tyndall Air Force Base opened a runway for air traffic Thursday after it suffered major damage during Hurricane Michael.
After clearing a runway, the base welcomed the first aircraft since the storm hit.
"This will allow support to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Tyndall Air Force Base. Tyndall Air Force Base received extensive damage in the wake of Hurricane Michael," the base said in a statement.
Search teams continue to pick their way through the ruins of Mexico Beach, the ground-zero town of about 1,000 people that was nearly wiped off the map when Michael blew ashore there on Wednesday with devastating 155 mph (249 kph) winds.
State officials said that by one count, 285 people in Mexico Beach defied mandatory evacuation orders and stayed behind. Whether any of them got out at some point was unclear.
At least 84 buildings that housed more than two million chickens were destroyed in the storm, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
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