Hurricane Michael

While the storm did not make landfall, the tropical disturbance that became Hurricane Michael also impacted a few countries in Central America. At least 3,250 homes in Central America across Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador suffered damages. In Central America, fifteen people were killed and there was about $100 million in economic damage, with Honduras being the hardest hit.

The storm caused extensive destruction in the Florida Panhandle and Georgia; Virginia and the Carolinas also suffered damage. Small Florida coastal communities such as Mexico Beach, Panama City, Lynn Haven and Port St. Joe suffered extensive damage. Many of these towns were hosts to seasonal visitors and second homes, but there was also a full-time, year-round population, many of whom worked in the tourism industry. Tyndall Air Force Base also sustained significant destruction with damages to military aircraft including F-22 Raptor fighter jets that were undergoing repairs and could not be relocated prior to the storm. Every structure on the base suffered some level of damage and some were completely destroyed.

Federal Disaster Declarations were issued for Florida (DR-4399), Georgia (DR-4400), Alabama (DR-4406), Virginia (DR-4411) and North Carolina (DR-4412).

Hurricane Michael caused $25 billion worth of damage within the U.S. According to NOAA, “of this total, about $18.4 billion occurred in Florida (with about $3 billion of this on Tyndall AFB), $4.7 billion occurred in Georgia, and $1.1 billion occurred in southeastern Alabama, with smaller amounts of damage in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The vast majority of this damage was to property and infrastructure. However, about $3.3 billion of the damage was agricultural and forestry losses, primarily in Florida and Georgia.” In Georgia, the agricultural losses included: $300 to $800 million in cotton (which was set to have a record yield), $480 million in vegetables, $560 million in pecans, $25 million in poultry, $10 to $20 million in peanuts, $1 billion in timber with the destruction of one million acres and an unspecified amount of agritourism such as corn mazes and pumpkin patches. There was also unspecified damage to crops and property in Cuba and the disturbance that became Michael caused at least $100 million damage in Central America.

As of January 2019, authorities had attributed 47 deaths in Florida to the storm. Some were direct deaths due to injuries from storm damage or drowning at the time of the storm, while others are indirect and occurred during clean up or because medical emergencies could not be attended to at the height of the crisis.

Previously 10 other deaths had been reported in the U.S. outside of Florida – six in Virginia, three in North Carolina and one in Georgia. There were also at least 15 fatalities in Central America – eight in Honduras, three in El Salvador and four in Nicaragua.

In Florida, 12 counties (in the Florida Panhandle) received Individual Assistance and Public Assistance (Categories A-G) declarations, while six counties in the Panhandle received some level of Public Assistance. In total, 31,414 applications were approved for Individual Assistance for a total of nearly $150 million. Just over $133 million has been obligated in the Public Assistance program and just over $5.6 million has been obligated for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

According to FEMA, $3.1 billion in federal funds has been provided in grants, loans and flood insurance payments as of early October 2020. FEMA said, “After the October 2018 storm, FEMA provided $149.5 million to more than 31,000 households for temporary rental assistance, basic home repair, lost personal property and other expenses not covered by insurance. The agency also provided housing in FEMA mobile homes and travel trailers to 925 households while they sought permanent accommodations. The housing program has been extended to Feb. 11, 2021 for some eligible households in Bay County still in need of temporary housing. Working with the State of Florida, FEMA has approved $1.2 billion to reimburse governments and eligible nonprofits for the cost of debris removal, rebuilding of infrastructure and to reimburse state and local governments for emergency response costs.

As of Oct. 20, 2020,

• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provided $654 million in low-interest loans to businesses, homeowners and renters to help with their recovery.
• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved $735 million in funding for long-term recovery efforts.
• The National Flood Insurance Program paid $246.4 million in claims to policyholders in the Panhandle.
• FEMA provided $66.5 million to purchase temporary housing units, rent housing pads and maintain units for Direct Temporary Housing program occupants a place to live until they find a more permanent housing solution.
• FEMA supported the state with $8.9 million for crisis counseling, disaster case management, disaster legal services and disaster unemployment assistance.
• FEMA’s Community Disaster Loan program approved $36.5 million for 11 communities to continue providing essential services as they focus on long-term recovery from Hurricane Michael.
• From October 2018 to April 2019, 2,058 displaced households received hotel lodging through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, totaling $16.7 million in assistance.
• FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provided $4.9 million to fund projects aimed at reducing future losses and to increase community resilience statewide.”

Twenty Georgia counties (mostly in the southwest region of the state) were approved for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance (categories A to G) with while over 40 counties crossing the state diagonally from the Florida panhandle and Alabama border to South Carolina received Public Assistance (Categories A-G) only. In total, 5,081 applications were approved for Individual Assistance for a total of nearly $12.6 million. Almost $134 million has been obligated in the Public Assistance program and just almost $2 million has been obligated for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

In Alabama, four counties were approved for Public Assistance Grants and nearly $12 million has been obligated. In Virginia, approximately one-third of counties were eligible for PA and nearly $18 million has been allocated. Just over $7 million in PA was allocated for North Carolina, covering about 20 counties.