Official: Searchers find body in hurricane-stricken town
Official: Searchers find body in hurricane-stricken town
Aerial photos of the aftermath of Hurricane Michael on St Teresa Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
A body is removed after being discovered during the search of a housing structure in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Danny, right, and Gina Holland collect water in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Parker, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. “We’re running out of water,” said Danny Holland of his neighborhood up the street that was damaged by the storm. “We’re going to make do.” (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Kylie Strampe holds her four-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage from Hurricane Michael after riding out the storm in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A woman walks through a damaged store in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Where homes once stood now remains debris and destruction caused by category four Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach on Friday, October 12, 2018. The hurricane made landfall in Mexico Beach on Wednesday, October 10. (Bronte Wittpenn/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Damaged boats sit among debris in a marina in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Kelsey Gronbeck walks past damaged homes after checking on a friend’s house in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Destruction is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Kelsey Gronbeck, right, and Spencer Hall walk through a damaged neighborhood after checking on he home of Hall’s father in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A sailboat upended by winds from Hurricane Michael is shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus was struck by a power line that was downed by Michael, as it drove down Carver School Road, according to witnesses on the scene on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
A boat destroyed by Hurricane Michael are shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
People walk around the destroyed portion of Alligator Drive, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Alligator Point, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews struggling to enter stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Tailyr Irvine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A boat destroyed by Hurricane Michael is shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Gov. Rick Scott points out some damage caused by Hurricane Michael while flying somewhere over the panhandle of Florida Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus driver was trapped on her bus after a power line fell across the bus, due to Michael, as she drove north on Carver School Road on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
Barren trees line a street damaged by hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A pedestrian walks under downed power lines due to Michael, on Cherry Street, south of Polo Road, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
A large ship lists on its side in the St. Andrew Bay, at Panama City, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Michael Snyder
An entire neighborhood between 40th Street and 42nd Street in Mexico Beach, Fla. was wiped out by Hurricane Michael, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Michael Snyder/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)
Dave Stough recovers a flag that was attached to his car port that was crushed by a large tree crashing and his mobile home, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Virginia Beach, Va. Strong winds from the remnants of Michael moved through Hampton Roads. Dave and his wife were awake at the time but not injured. They and their pets are now trying to figure out where they will stay. (L. Todd Spencer/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
Rescue personnel and volunteers wait on a road as State Police dive team members search a creek for a missing woman after their car, right, was swept off a bridge in Charlotte County, Va., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Entire blocks were destroyed in Mexico Beach, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, two days after a Category 4 Hurricane Michael devastated the small coastal town just outside Panama City, Fla. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)
Boats are seen among the rubble along the canals Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla., two days after a Category 4 Hurricane Michael devastated the small coastal town just outside Panama City, Fla. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)
Damaged boats sit among debris in a marina in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Residents assess the damage to their home after Hurricane Michael hit Alligator Drive in Alligator Point, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (Tailyr Irvine/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A body is removed after being discovered during the search of a housing structure in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Malik Mutcherson, from Pepin Distributing, loads supplies for people affected by Hurricane Michael, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Tampa, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews struggling to enter stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Monica Herndon /Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Rescue personnel and volunteers wait on a road as State Police dive team members search a creek for a missing woman after their car was swept off a bridge in Charlotte County, Va., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
A body is removed after being discovered during the search of a housing structure in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Brad Parsons, with the Davis H. Elliot company, works to replace a cross arm on a utility pole in Hanover County, Va., on Friday Oct. 12, 2018. Remnants of Tropical Storm Michael left hundreds of thousands in Virginia without power. (Dean Hoffmeyer/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Rescue personnel perform a search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Power lines lean against the trees on Alligator Drive in Alligator Point, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (Tailyr Irvine/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Jay Faulk, 56, surveys the damage to his home, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Rescue personnel search amidst debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A woman walks past a damaged building in the historical downtown district in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Mishelle McPherson, climbs over the rubble of the home of her friend as she searches for her, since she knows she stayed behind in the home during Hurricane Michael, in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Hector Morales sits on a debris pile near his home which was destroyed by hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. “I have nothing else to do. I’m just waiting,” said Morales as he wonders what he will do next. “I lost everything.” (AP Photo/David Goldman)
An American flag flies amidst destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Debris from homes destroyed by Hurricane Michael litters the ground Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Destruction can be seen all over Mexico Beach Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach, Fla., began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
In this image made from video and provided by SevereStudios.com, damage from Hurricane Michael is seen in Mexico Beach, Fla. on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. Search-and-rescue teams fanned out across the Florida Panhandle to reach trapped people in Michael’s wake Thursday as daylight yielded scenes of rows upon rows of houses smashed to pieces by the third-most powerful hurricane on record to hit the continental U.S. (SevereStudios.com via AP)
Homes destroyed by Hurricane Michael are shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A helicopter flies along the coast as a portion of Highway 98 is seen crumbled Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Michael Williams, 70, waves to passing motorists while looking for food and water as downed trees prevent him from driving out of his damaged home with his family in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. “I don’t know what I’m going to,” said Williams. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A boat sits amidst debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Bentley Davis looks at his damaged house Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, on Arthur Hills Drive in Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg, Va., after last night’s storm. He and wife Carolyn were watching television in their family room when they heard patio furniture moving around outside their French doors last night. The tree fell through the roof of their home and landed between their seats and the T.V. (Alexa Welch Edlund /Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
People hold hands as they walk amidst destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Firefighter Austin Schlarb performs a door to door search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Aerial photos of the aftermath of Hurricane Michael on St Teresa Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
A body is removed after being discovered during the search of a housing structure in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Danny, right, and Gina Holland collect water in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Parker, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. “We’re running out of water,” said Danny Holland of his neighborhood up the street that was damaged by the storm. “We’re going to make do.” (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Danny, right, and Gina Holland collect water in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Parker, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. “We’re running out of water,” said Danny Holland of his neighborhood up the street that was damaged by the storm. “We’re going to make do.” (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Kylie Strampe holds her four-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage from Hurricane Michael after riding out the storm in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A woman walks through a damaged store in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Where homes once stood now remains debris and destruction caused by category four Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach on Friday, October 12, 2018. The hurricane made landfall in Mexico Beach on Wednesday, October 10. (Bronte Wittpenn/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Where homes once stood now remains debris and destruction caused by category four Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach on Friday, October 12, 2018. The hurricane made landfall in Mexico Beach on Wednesday, October 10. (Bronte Wittpenn/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Damaged boats sit among debris in a marina in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Kelsey Gronbeck walks past damaged homes after checking on a friend’s house in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Kelsey Gronbeck walks past damaged homes after checking on a friend’s house in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Destruction is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Destruction is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Kelsey Gronbeck, right, and Spencer Hall walk through a damaged neighborhood after checking on he home of Hall’s father in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Kelsey Gronbeck, right, and Spencer Hall walk through a damaged neighborhood after checking on he home of Hall’s father in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Callaway, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A sailboat upended by winds from Hurricane Michael is shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A sailboat upended by winds from Hurricane Michael is shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus was struck by a power line that was downed by Michael, as it drove down Carver School Road, according to witnesses on the scene on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
A Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus was struck by a power line that was downed by Michael, as it drove down Carver School Road, according to witnesses on the scene on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
A boat destroyed by Hurricane Michael are shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A boat destroyed by Hurricane Michael are shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
People walk around the destroyed portion of Alligator Drive, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Alligator Point, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews struggling to enter stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Tailyr Irvine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
People walk around the destroyed portion of Alligator Drive, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Alligator Point, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews struggling to enter stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Tailyr Irvine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A boat destroyed by Hurricane Michael is shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A boat destroyed by Hurricane Michael is shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Gov. Rick Scott points out some damage caused by Hurricane Michael while flying somewhere over the panhandle of Florida Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida Gov. Rick Scott points out some damage caused by Hurricane Michael while flying somewhere over the panhandle of Florida Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus driver was trapped on her bus after a power line fell across the bus, due to Michael, as she drove north on Carver School Road on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
A Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus driver was trapped on her bus after a power line fell across the bus, due to Michael, as she drove north on Carver School Road on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
Barren trees line a street damaged by hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Barren trees line a street damaged by hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A pedestrian walks under downed power lines due to Michael, on Cherry Street, south of Polo Road, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Andrew Dye/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)
A large ship lists on its side in the St. Andrew Bay, at Panama City, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Michael Snyder
A large ship lists on its side in the St. Andrew Bay, at Panama City, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Michael Snyder
An entire neighborhood between 40th Street and 42nd Street in Mexico Beach, Fla. was wiped out by Hurricane Michael, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Michael Snyder/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)
An entire neighborhood between 40th Street and 42nd Street in Mexico Beach, Fla. was wiped out by Hurricane Michael, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews began making their way into the stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Michael Snyder/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)
Dave Stough recovers a flag that was attached to his car port that was crushed by a large tree crashing and his mobile home, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Virginia Beach, Va. Strong winds from the remnants of Michael moved through Hampton Roads. Dave and his wife were awake at the time but not injured. They and their pets are now trying to figure out where they will stay. (L. Todd Spencer/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
Dave Stough recovers a flag that was attached to his car port that was crushed by a large tree crashing and his mobile home, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Virginia Beach, Va. Strong winds from the remnants of Michael moved through Hampton Roads. Dave and his wife were awake at the time but not injured. They and their pets are now trying to figure out where they will stay. (L. Todd Spencer/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
Rescue personnel and volunteers wait on a road as State Police dive team members search a creek for a missing woman after their car, right, was swept off a bridge in Charlotte County, Va., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Rescue personnel and volunteers wait on a road as State Police dive team members search a creek for a missing woman after their car, right, was swept off a bridge in Charlotte County, Va., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Entire blocks were destroyed in Mexico Beach, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, two days after a Category 4 Hurricane Michael devastated the small coastal town just outside Panama City, Fla. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)
Entire blocks were destroyed in Mexico Beach, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, two days after a Category 4 Hurricane Michael devastated the small coastal town just outside Panama City, Fla. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)
Boats are seen among the rubble along the canals Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla., two days after a Category 4 Hurricane Michael devastated the small coastal town just outside Panama City, Fla. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)
Boats are seen among the rubble along the canals Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla., two days after a Category 4 Hurricane Michael devastated the small coastal town just outside Panama City, Fla. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)
Damaged boats sit among debris in a marina in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Residents assess the damage to their home after Hurricane Michael hit Alligator Drive in Alligator Point, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (Tailyr Irvine/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A body is removed after being discovered during the search of a housing structure in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Malik Mutcherson, from Pepin Distributing, loads supplies for people affected by Hurricane Michael, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Tampa, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews struggling to enter stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Monica Herndon /Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Malik Mutcherson, from Pepin Distributing, loads supplies for people affected by Hurricane Michael, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Tampa, Fla. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus with rows upon rows of homes found smashed to pieces, and rescue crews struggling to enter stricken areas in hopes of accounting for hundreds of people who may have stayed behind. (Monica Herndon /Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Rescue personnel and volunteers wait on a road as State Police dive team members search a creek for a missing woman after their car was swept off a bridge in Charlotte County, Va., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Rescue personnel and volunteers wait on a road as State Police dive team members search a creek for a missing woman after their car was swept off a bridge in Charlotte County, Va., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
A body is removed after being discovered during the search of a housing structure in the aftermath of hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Brad Parsons, with the Davis H. Elliot company, works to replace a cross arm on a utility pole in Hanover County, Va., on Friday Oct. 12, 2018. Remnants of Tropical Storm Michael left hundreds of thousands in Virginia without power. (Dean Hoffmeyer/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Brad Parsons, with the Davis H. Elliot company, works to replace a cross arm on a utility pole in Hanover County, Va., on Friday Oct. 12, 2018. Remnants of Tropical Storm Michael left hundreds of thousands in Virginia without power. (Dean Hoffmeyer/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Rescue personnel perform a search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Power lines lean against the trees on Alligator Drive in Alligator Point, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (Tailyr Irvine/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Jay Faulk, 56, surveys the damage to his home, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Jay Faulk, 56, surveys the damage to his home, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Rescue personnel search amidst debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A woman walks past a damaged building in the historical downtown district in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Mishelle McPherson, climbs over the rubble of the home of her friend as she searches for her, since she knows she stayed behind in the home during Hurricane Michael, in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Mishelle McPherson, climbs over the rubble of the home of her friend as she searches for her, since she knows she stayed behind in the home during Hurricane Michael, in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Hector Morales sits on a debris pile near his home which was destroyed by hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. “I have nothing else to do. I’m just waiting,” said Morales as he wonders what he will do next. “I lost everything.” (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Hector Morales sits on a debris pile near his home which was destroyed by hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. “I have nothing else to do. I’m just waiting,” said Morales as he wonders what he will do next. “I lost everything.” (AP Photo/David Goldman)
An American flag flies amidst destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Debris from homes destroyed by Hurricane Michael litters the ground Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Destruction can be seen all over Mexico Beach Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach, Fla., began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Destruction can be seen all over Mexico Beach Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach, Fla., began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
In this image made from video and provided by SevereStudios.com, damage from Hurricane Michael is seen in Mexico Beach, Fla. on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. Search-and-rescue teams fanned out across the Florida Panhandle to reach trapped people in Michael’s wake Thursday as daylight yielded scenes of rows upon rows of houses smashed to pieces by the third-most powerful hurricane on record to hit the continental U.S. (SevereStudios.com via AP)
In this image made from video and provided by SevereStudios.com, damage from Hurricane Michael is seen in Mexico Beach, Fla. on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. Search-and-rescue teams fanned out across the Florida Panhandle to reach trapped people in Michael’s wake Thursday as daylight yielded scenes of rows upon rows of houses smashed to pieces by the third-most powerful hurricane on record to hit the continental U.S. (SevereStudios.com via AP)
Homes destroyed by Hurricane Michael are shown in this aerial photo Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
A helicopter flies along the coast as a portion of Highway 98 is seen crumbled Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A helicopter flies along the coast as a portion of Highway 98 is seen crumbled Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Fla. Residents of the small beach town of Mexico Beach began to make their way back to their homes some for the first time after Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday. (Chris Urso/The Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Michael Williams, 70, waves to passing motorists while looking for food and water as downed trees prevent him from driving out of his damaged home with his family in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. “I don’t know what I’m going to,” said Williams. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Michael Williams, 70, waves to passing motorists while looking for food and water as downed trees prevent him from driving out of his damaged home with his family in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Springfield, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. “I don’t know what I’m going to,” said Williams. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A boat sits amidst debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Bentley Davis looks at his damaged house Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, on Arthur Hills Drive in Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg, Va., after last night’s storm. He and wife Carolyn were watching television in their family room when they heard patio furniture moving around outside their French doors last night. The tree fell through the roof of their home and landed between their seats and the T.V. (Alexa Welch Edlund /Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Bentley Davis looks at his damaged house Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, on Arthur Hills Drive in Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg, Va., after last night’s storm. He and wife Carolyn were watching television in their family room when they heard patio furniture moving around outside their French doors last night. The tree fell through the roof of their home and landed between their seats and the T.V. (Alexa Welch Edlund /Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
People hold hands as they walk amidst destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Firefighter Austin Schlarb performs a door to door search in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
MEXICO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Search-and-rescue teams found at least one body in Mexico Beach, the ground-zero town nearly obliterated by Hurricane Michael, an official said Friday as the scale of the storm’s fury became ever clearer.
The death toll across the South stood at 14 including the victim discovered in Mexico Beach.
Miami Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban, leader of a search-and-rescue unit that went into the flattened town, said: “We have one confirmed deceased and are working to determine if there are others.” Zahralban said searchers were trying to determine if that person had been alone or was part of a family.
Zahralban spoke as his team — which included a dog — was winding down its two-day search of Mexico Beach, the town of about 1,000 people that was nearly wiped off the map when Michael blew ashore there Wednesday with devastating 155 mph (249 kph) winds.
Blocks and blocks of homes were demolished, reduced to splintered lumber or mere concrete slabs by the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental U.S. in nearly 50 years.
As the catastrophic damage across the Florida Panhandle came into view 48 hours after the hurricane struck, there was little doubt the death toll would rise.
How high it might go was unclear. But authorities scrapped plans to set up a temporary morgue, suggesting they had yet to see mass casualties.
State officials said that by one count, 285 people in Mexico Beach defied mandatory evacuation orders and stayed behind. Some of them successfully rode out the storm. It was unclear how many of the others might have gotten out at the last minute.
Emergency officials said they have received thousands of calls asking about missing people. But with cellphone service out across vast swaths of the Florida Panhandle, officials said it is possible that some of those unaccounted for are safe and just haven’t been able to contact friends or family.
Across the ravaged region, meanwhile, authorities set up distribution centers to hand out food and water to victims. Some supplies were brought in by trucks, while others had to be delivered by helicopter because of debris still blocking roads.
Residents began to come to grips with the destruction and face up to the uncertainty that lies ahead.
“I didn’t recognize nothing. Everything’s gone. I didn’t even know our road was our road,” said 25-year-old Tiffany Marie Plushnik, an evacuee who returned to find her home in Sandy Creek too damaged to live in.
When she went back to the hotel where she took shelter from the storm, she found out she could no longer stay there either because of mold. “We’ve got to figure something out. We’re starting from scratch, all of us,” Plushnik said.
President Donald Trump announced plans to visit Florida and hard-hit Georgia early next week but didn’t say what day he would arrive.
“We are with you!” he tweeted.
Shell-shocked survivors who barely escaped with their lives told of terrifying winds, surging floodwaters and homes cracking apart.
Emergency officials said they had completed an initial “hasty search” of the stricken area, looking for the living or the dead, and had begun more careful inspections of thousands of ruined buildings. They said nearly 200 people had been rescued.
Gov. 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.
Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Brock Long said he expects to see the death toll rise.
“We still haven’t gotten into the hardest-hit areas,” he said, adding with frustration: “Very few people live to tell what it’s like to experience storm surge, and unfortunately in this country we seem to not learn the lesson.”
Long expressed worry that people have suffered “hurricane amnesia.”
“When state and local officials tell you to get out, dang it, do it. Get out,” he said.
On the Panhandle, Tyndall Air Force Base “took a beating,” so much so that Col. Brian Laidlaw told the 3,600 men and women stationed on the base not to come back. Many of the 600 families who live there had followed orders to pack what they could in a single suitcase as they were evacuated ahead of the storm.
The hurricane’s eyewall passed directly overhead, severely damaging nearly every building and leaving many a complete loss. The elementary school, the flight line, the marina and the runways were devastated.
“I will not recall you and your families until we can guarantee your safety. At this time I can’t tell you how long that will take, but I’m on it,” Laidlaw wrote. “We need to restore basic utilities, clear our roads of trees and power lines, and assess the structural integrity of our buildings.”
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Contributors in Florida include Associated Press writers Jay Reeves in Panama City, Brendan Farrington in St. Marks, Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, and Jennifer Kay and Freida Frisaro in Miami. Others include Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina, Darlene Superville in Washington, and Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland.
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For the latest on Hurricane Michael, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes