When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle last October, the city of Mexico Beach had about 1200 permanent residents. Today that number is less than 300. Next door at Tyndall AFB, not a single building was left inhabitable. These places will never be the same. “Norma” will never be normal again for those residents. That does not, however, excuse us from helping the survivors recover.

Today our teams went out with different directions and objectives. One team went to nearby Mexico Beach, the other stayed in Panama City.

The Mexico Beach team was tasked with helping Miss Lisa, the local newspaper owner. A tree crushed the rear portion of her house and her roof was a shambles. Students got to work immediately after arriving and were able to get about half the work finished. They tore old shingles off, put new shingles on, hung drywall and listened to the homeowner, Miss Lisa, as she lamented the danger she felt for the community she loved as a result of the storm.

Our Panama City team worked with chainsaws, cutting trees and clearing debris at FBC Deer. They also spent time inventorying a library, making sure each book was in good condition, throwing away those that had molded.

More pics on our Facebook page: MSSU Baptist Student Union.