![]() ![]() Trees uprooted in the storm and convoys of heavy, debris-filled trucks have cracked decades-old sewer pipes. Since August, a series of breaks and pump failures have dumped more than 65,000 gallons of sewage into the city's waterways. But in Panama City, Hurricane Michael exposed another problem that needs attention: its aging infrastructure. Cathey says the town has rejected proposals from developers who want to rezone properties for multi-story condos and apartments.Īcross this part of Florida's panhandle, housing remains the major challenge. One concern is maintaining the small-town character as Mexico Beach rebuilds. But here and there, homes are being rebuilt.Īl Cathey is mayor of Mexico Beach and the owner of the hardware store, one of the few businesses open in town. The rubble is mostly gone leaving empty lots behind. The storm killed three people there and left more than three-quarters of the homes destroyed or severely damaged.Ī year later, many of the buildings that remain are just shells, lacking roofs, windows and walls. Rebuilding is also slow in the community closest to where Hurricane Michael made landfall, Mexico Beach. 2020, we're going to see about 85% of that housing stock back in inventory again," McQueen says. Work is underway on several privately owned apartment complexes that were damaged and shut down after the storm. Mark McQueen, the city manager in Panama City, agrees that affordable housing is the area's most acute need, but says there are signs of progress. "Plus you're going to have your water and your lights that you got to pay on top of it," she says. ![]() She and her boyfriend have been looking at rental properties, but they're expensive: a three bedroom would cost them nearly $2,000 a month. Crawford says they can stay here until April, and maybe longer if FEMA allows it. ![]()
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