Many ‘still hurting’ nearly 5 months after hurricane

Paulina ”Bela“Sebastiao would give almost anything to be able to do a load of laundry without having to drive miles from her Mexico Beach home. Anthony Campbell would appreciate having a gas station closer than an hour away from his house in Parker. And Patrick Muth just hopes it doesn’t rain when it’s time to go to work: His ”office“in Panama City consists of a desk surrounded by rubble under an open sky.

Life is still a struggle in the county hardest hit by Hurricane Michael, which carved a wide swath of destruction through the Florida Panhandle when it roared ashore on Oct. 10 with winds of 155 mph.

Drivers who have lived in the area for years second-guess themselves about whether they’re going the right way — the street signs, trees, and houses that once served as points of reference are gone. Many doctors’ offices haven’t reopened and one of the county’s two hospitals was closed, even though Bay County residents are experiencing hurricane-related health problems such as respiratory illness.

Students in schools damaged by the storm have moved into other facilities, dropping enrollment by 14 percent. Bay County had about 183,000 residents before the storm, and about 7,800 people were estimated to be homeless in January.

Shopping for groceries is burdensome since many retailers haven’t reopened yet. Many of those that have are selling limited goods from pop-up trailers parked in front of their damaged properties.