Hurricane death toll climbs in Florida as officials get into most devastated areas
Hurricane death toll climbs in Florida as officials get into most devastated areas After Hurricane Michael tore through the Florida Panhandle on its way north, officials in the state were left with the macabre task of figuring out the storm’s death toll — a question that could take some time to answer. In Bay County, Fla., where Michael made landfall last week as a powerful Category 4 storm , the sheriff said Tuesday that 12 hurricane-related deaths had been confirmed there. That pushes the total deaths linked to the storm to at least 30 across four states, with other deaths in Florida under investigation and officials still exploring some of the most ravaged areas . Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said the toll, while tragic, remains lower than what many had expected based on the sheer devastation the hurricane left behind. Some had anticipated a higher death toll in Mexico Beach, Fla. because nearly 300 people had told authorities they weren’t planning to evacuate...