Mexico Beach - the Storm of Storms (Michael)

Mexico Beach (not to be confused with Mexico City) ... came to 'fame' after being literally destroyed by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. About 2 weeks after Michael hit the Panhandle, we traveled to Mississippi and drove through Mexico Beach. We were shocked to learn that 20 miles east and west of that community were also devastated. Along Rt 10, trees were literally sheared off at 25 ft and many sections of road contained debris (we were impressed that heavy equipment and tree service contractors were in key locations clearing the road and replacing fencing). As we traveled along Rt 10 we saw homes and farms on either side without roofs and most rest stops were closed due to major damage.

Since much of the reporting on the hurricane was focused on Mexico Beach, we wanted to see just how badly they were hit. Below are some original images we captured 2 years ago and those taken recently. It was encouraging to see a positive improvement in the conditions we saw 2 years ago. Yes, homes on the Gulf side were furthest along to being restored or replaced - all on piles. Most roofs were now metal and many homes had concrete piles - elevating living space 11-15 ft. On the community side, maybe 30-40% of the homes are under repair/replacement ... but the entire community is still years away from 'normalcy'. We did capture a photo of the one home that the news media had reported as the lone survivor due to planned over-building and reinforcement.