US - SouthEast

The flood maps don’t factor in sea level rise or changes in extreme weather, and many are years out of date. In Mexico Beach, 'minimal-risk' homes were swept away.

insideclimatenews.org - by James Bruggers - November 1, 2018

The official map laid it out for more than 200 homes within the community of Mexico Beach, Florida: the federal government had characterized their flooding risks as minimal, despite their near-beachfront locations.

That meant for them there were no requirements to buy flood insurance, and local residents say many did not.

When Hurricane Michael and its 155-mile-per-hour winds slammed into the town on Oct. 10, with a storm surge of perhaps 19 feet, the result was devastation. An analysis by coastal geologists from Western Carolina University has found that 70 percent of the homes were demolished. Another 10 percent were severely damaged.

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center has DMAT Delta-1 team and Louisiana Strike Team 5 working with them.  Their base of operations is set up in big tents within the hospital courtyard.  They are transporting patients by helicopters and ambulance from Bay County area medical facilities.

If you have a healthcare related concern and cannot get help, Consult-A-Nurse is a free service designed to help answer healthcare questions. You can contact their nurses 24 hours a day by phone at (866) 442-2362.

If you are trying to get in touch with a loved one that has been transported, please call the Patient Reunification Line at 844-582-2350 . . .

https://www.facebook.com/FWBMC/