People in rural areas slow to get help
Many have no power, sewer, water post-michael
PANAMACITY,FLA.— More than two weeks after the powerful eyewall of Hurricane Michael passed over Bay County, Mark Ward wonders when the power will work again.
And the sewer. And the water.
“We’ve been living out of coolers. We’ve been grilling out.” He points to a red cooler and two grills in front of his mobile home. He has to shout to be heard over the buzz of a generator.
Although electric, water and sewer service were restored to Panama
City residents on Wednesday, those like Ward who live in the rural parts of Bay County still lack basic services.
County spokeswoman Valerie Sale says she understands why people in rural areas feel left behind.
“When you live that far away from a municipal area, there’s a feeling of isolation,” she said. “There’s no question it’s a challenge to reach those folks. Under normal circumstances it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to some of those northern parts of the county.”
Bay County is known for its sugar-sand beaches. Panama City Beach, which made it through relatively unscathed from the storm, is a mecca for spring breakers each year. Mexico Beach, another stunning community on the Gulf of Mexico, was almost obliterated by the storm. Stark, stunning visuals of the destruction there have been a staple of post-hurricane news coverage.
But the rural folks in Bay County say they feel invisible. About 180,000 people live in the county, and according to the Census, 14 percent of them live in poverty.
“Where’s the help?” Ward asks.
He’s one of the lucky ones in the Bayou George neighborhood. He has insurance. His mobile home was mostly spared. He has a generator, and he rigged a hand pump for the well.
His next-door neighbors didn’t fare as well: Michael stripped their mobile home to a wood skeleton. They clung to debris, but finally ran for safety to Ward’s home during the eye of the storm with a cat and her newborn kittens.