The Aftermath of Hurricane Michael
At midmorning on October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall at Mexico Beach and Tyndall Airforce Base. Laird Bayou was in the direct path.
In the first four hours, those of us who evacuated to local hotels nearby experienced windows blown out, roofs were torn off, shaking floors beneath us and howling wind carrying debris.
There was a brief calm while the eye passed over, and then the southern bands produced the same force for two hours more.
The following morning, the roads were largely impassable. Emergency vehicles from all across the country were seen in every direction. People were asked to leave their hotels. Several families made their way back to Laird Bayou. Highway 98, Starr Avenue, Cherry Street, and Old Bicycle Road looked like a war zone.
At our entrance, several large trees were across the road prohibiting access to any vehicles. Residents walked into their respective homes and those with chainsaws began cutting a path in 88-degree weather and continued until midafternoon.
We were fortunate to find a tree removal crew working nearby who began working on Saturday and had removed all downed trees from our 2 ½ miles of roads in 7 ½ days. Treetops were chipped and trunks were hauled off. This provided community access to emergency vehicles, Sherriff patrol cars and Gulf Power who restored our power in 14 days.
A few grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, and banks are operating on a limited basis but slowly improving.
Other damages include the Laird Bayou sign, front fence, pool fence, community dock, electrical, RV/Boat storage fence and gazebo.
We have advanced from emergency repairs to recovery mode.
Every home in Laird Bayou is still standing, all with different degrees of damage.
Many have commented that our community restoration has gone faster than any other in our area. Residents have worked together daily to help each other, to share information and to hasten the repairs and reconstruction. Deliveries of water, ice, gasoline, groceries, and medications were found outside our doors from residents and property owners. This crisis has turned many former neighbors into close friends.
In time, Laird Bayou will again be restored to the beautiful community we enjoyed before the hurricane.
THANK YOU to everyone who was instrumental in solving the emergency situations that occurred and to those who continue to work towards restoring our homes and community.
Christina Vincent
Webmaster
