Nature’s Fury

Florida Grapples Hurricane Michael. Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Hermine.

Shelters often reach capacity days before the hurricane is expected to hit, and locals are hard pressed to find space for their loved ones - especially pets. Luann Topp was traveling from shelter to shelter before Hurricane Irma hit the Bradenton area to find space for herself and her three bull mastiffs, all weighing over 100 pounds.

The Return

Mexico Beach area residents wait for hours to return to their homes, as clean-up crews remove trees from the road. Hurricane Michael passed through a massive pine forest with winds up to 150 mph, and toppled thousands of towering trees. The 45 mile drive from the highway to Mexico Beach took almost 8 hours.

Residents of Mexico Beach, FL awoke to apocalyptic destruction, with some officials labeling an estimated 90% of structures uninhabitable in the city of 1200 people.

Neighbors share horror stories after surviving flood waters up to 20 feet high in Mexico Beach, swimming in their living rooms with their heads touching the ceiling before the water receded.

Exhausted laughs are heard throughout the sound of sifting debris, as residents uncover possessions that survived the storm - some finding unbroken wine bottles and stained glass in piles of crumbled concrete.