WE ARE TRACKING THE TROPICS
AND CONTINUING TO MONITOR A
DISTURBANCE IN THE GULF OF
MEXICO.
THE SYSTEM IS PRESENTLY NOT A
THREAT TO SOUTH FLORIDA, BUT IT
COULD BE HIM IT COULD IMPACT
US.
FOR THE FOLKS THERE GETTING THE
MONEY TO PAY FOR IT ALL IS
ADDING INSULT TO INJURY.
SOME ROAD OUT MICHAEL AND
WENT BACK TO SEE FIRSTHAND HOW
THINGS LOOK NOW.
FEET AWAY FROM THE GULF OF
MEXICO, FAMILIES RELAXING ON
THE SAND, THERE IS A PATH OF
DESTRUCTION. THIS IS IN THE
PANHANDLE.
IT IS WHERE CATEGORY 5
HURRICANE MICHAEL MADE LANDFALL
BACK IN OCTOBER.
THE SAME WINDS REACHED 160
MILES PER HOUR.
THERE WERE MORE THAN 50 STORM
RELATED DEATHS STATEWIDE.
MONTHS LATER, ABOUT 400 OF THEM
ARE TRYING TO STAY AND REBUILD.
MANY HAVE DECIDED TO SELL
ALEVE.
IT HAS BEEN SEVEN MONTHS.
JACK SEBASTIAN AND HIS WIFE
LIVE IN A FEMA TRAVEL TRAILER.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU?
THAT IS THE DIFFICULT PART.
BECAUSE, WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS
WITH CONTRACTORS.
FOR NOW, THE HIGH COST OF
CONSTRUCTION IS KEEPING
SEBASTIAN PARKS.
HE IS ON THE SAME PROPERTY
WHERE HIS THREE-STORY HOME ONCE
STOOD.
I OWNED THE HOUSE FOR TWO
MONTHS.
AS OF LATE MAY, THERE WAS NO
WATER OR SEWER FOR A STRETCH IN
MEXICO BEACH AND NO GAS
STATION, GROCERY STORE, OR
SITDOWN RESTAURANT.
IN A TOWN KNOWN FOR ITS FISHING
AND BOAT CHARTERS, THE CANAL
REOPENED AT THE END OF APRIL
WHEN THE DEBRIS WAS REMOVED.
THIS COULD HELP WITH THE FLOW
OF MUCH-NEEDED MONEY.
TO US, WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO
PAY BILLS THAT RANK IN THE
MILLIONS, WE HAVE TO BE VERY
CAREFUL WHAT WE PAY.
THEN, WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT ON
THE BACKSIDE THAT FEMA IS TRULY
GOING TO GET US BACK THE MONEY.
THE MAYOR ALSO OWNS THE ONLY
HARDWARE STORE IN MEXICO BEACH.
HE SAYS THE DEBRIS CLEANUP.
THE $60 MILLION PRICE TAG.
20 TIMES THE TOWN'S YEARLY
BUDGET.
IN MAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP
SPOKE TO SUPPORTERS. I AM
PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY
MINISTRATION WILL BE ALLOCATING
$448 MILLION IN DISASTER
RECOVERY FUNDS FOR THE GREAT
PEOPLE OF FLORIDA.
I AM DOING THE MOST ALLOWED
BY LAW TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF
FLORIDA.
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
HAVE BEEN AT ODDS OVER A
MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR DISASTER
RELIEF BILL FOR STATES IMPACTED
BY HURRICANE DISASTERS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WASN'T GOING TO
LET MORE MONEY GO TO PUERTO
RICO FOR HURRICANE MARIA.
THIS LEFT THE PANHANDLE
STRUGGLING TO RECOVER FASTER.
THE DADE COUNTY COMMISSION
CHAIRMAN WAS MOVED HOME SIX
TIMES SINCE MICHAEL IS
FRUSTRATED OVER THE NUMEROUS
RED TAPE TO GET FEDERAL HELP.
HOWEVER, HE DOES APPRECIATE
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR.
WE ARE GOING TO GET THROUGH
THIS.
WE WILL BE BIGGER, BETTER, AND
STRONGER AT THE END OF IT.
MOST OF THE FUNDS WERE GIVEN
AS LOW INTEREST LOANS TO HOME
AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
WERE YOU LIVING NOW?
TRUCK IS TRYING TO KEEP A
SMILE ON HIS FACE.
HE DIPPED INTO HIS SAVINGS TO
REBUILD HIS HOME OF MORE THAN
40 YEARS IN PANAMA CITY.
AT TIMES, IT IS TOUGH TO STAY
UPBEAT.
17 DAYS BEFORE THE STORM, HIS
WIFE DIED.
HE IS KEEPING MOSTLY EVERYTHING
IN HIS OWN TENT IN HIS
BACKYARD.
MANY NEIGHBORS ARE WORKING TO
REBUILD.
BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY HAVE ALSO
BEEN ABLE TO BUILD FRIENDSHIPS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES YOU
DON'T KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THROUGH ALL OF THIS, IT IS LIKE
NOW WE KNOW EACH OTHER, AND WE
KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL AND
WE KNOW EACH OTHER'S KIDS NOW,
SO IT IS VERY COOL.
50% OF RESIDENTS PACKED AND
LEFT.
MANY ARE LIVING IN FEMA TRAILER
PARKS IN A MIX OF PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
IT ALMOST MAKES IT HARD FOR
ME SOMETIMES.
THEY HAVE A COMBINED SEVEN
CHILDREN.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S NEXT BUT
REMAIN HOPE SO.
I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE
NEWS AND THEN ON THE INTERNET
AND STUFF.
I KNOW THAT HELP IS ON THE WAY.
WITH ANOTHER HURRICANE
SEASON UNDERWAY, SEBASTIAN AND
MEXICO BEACH IS CONCERNED.
I HAVE WORKED ALL MY LIFE.
IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO RELAX. I
WANT TO REBUILD, BUT IT SEEMS
LIKE THERE IS NO HELP.
AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL
PEOPLE HERE, I GET THE SENSE