Hurricane Michael's devastation still being assessed -- live updates
The death toll from Hurricane Michael climbed to at least 19 on Saturday as the recovery continued in Virginia, Georgia and the hard-hit Mexico Beach, Florida.
It's been three days since the monster storm slammed into the Florida Panhandle, destroying an untold number of homes with 155-mile per hour winds and a tremendous amount of storm surge.
Gov. Rick Scott visited devastated neighborhoods on Saturday and President Trump said he will do the same next week.
Death toll climbs to 19
The death toll from Hurricane Michael climbed to 19 late Saturday with a second death confirmed in Mexico Beach, Florida.
So far, nine deaths have been attributed from Michael in Florida, where the storm came ashore with 155 mph winds. There were six deaths in Virginia, three in North Carolina and one in Georgia.
First gubernatorial debate canceled
Democratic candidate for governor and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum said Saturday that he will not be returning to the campaign trail until at least next Wednesday due to damage from the storm. As a result, the first scheduled debate between Gillum and his Republican challenger, Ron DeSantis, will be canceled.
Gillum said that he could not leave town if thousands of residents were still without power.
More than 110,000 customers of the Tallahassee-owned electric company lost power as a result of Hurricane Michael's high winds that brought down hundreds of trees across the city. There were about 30,000 city customers still without power Saturday night.
There are two other debates scheduled.
Over 700,000 without power
As of Saturday afternoon, an estimated 709,750 people were without power in six states.
A breakdown of power outages by state, all numbers are approximate:
- 207,051 customers without power in Florida
- 14,531 customers without power in Alabama
- 26,373 customers without power in Georgia
- 43 customers without power in South Carolina
- 318,420 customers without power in North Carolina
- 143,332 customers without power in Virginia
Trump: "That was some wind"
At a Make America Great Again rally in Kentucky, President Trump singled out "our fellow citizens" in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Virginia who were hit by Hurricane Michael.
Mr. Trump noted "that was some wind" that came ashore in Florida, although he said the hurricane came ashore with 200 mph winds. The National Hurricane Center said Michael came ashore with 155 mph winds.
"You see a lot of foundations that are there but no home"
Search crews are still going door to door in Mexico Beach, looking for survivors, CBS News' Omar Villafranca reports.
"You see a lot of foundations that are there but no home," said Cpt. Ignatious Carroll with the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue team. "We have about 160 people that are out here conducting still some secondary searches and more thorough searches using canines."
Carroll says after 3 days of checking on residents and sifting through rubble, teams still have more work to do -- and it's not easy.
A couple rode the storm out in one of these homes. One person was found dead in this area and crews are still looking for the other. But what makes this job so difficult is that this is three homes sandwiched together and the storm surge pushed these homes more than 1/4 mile away from their foundations.
"I used to have a really really pretty house," said Angel Smith. A tree crashed down on her roof before two feet of water poured into her home. She lost nearly everything.
Panama City in need of the most basic supplies
Among the downed trees and massive power lines that Michael took out, are the stories of the people whose lives were turned upside down by the hurricane, CBS News' Jericka Duncan reports.
As CBS News toured the devastated neighborhoods of Panama City on Saturday, we found people in need of the most basic supplies.
The National Guard handed out cases of water from a school parking lot. And for several hours, drivers waited in long lines for gas -- when they finally got it.
Front yards were turned into kitchens for cooking, these neighbors in the Glenwood section of the city are making the best of a bad situation.
Darrell Garrett, 43, says he and his mother, who at times, relies on an oxygen tank to breathe, rode out the storm in the hallway of their home.. Where fierce winds brought down a large oak tree on top of their roof.
Darrell's sister, Willie May Morgan and her family of five, are also now staying here because their house was ruined.
"We may have to relocate somewhere else," Willie May said.
Curtis Morgan said he doesn't really think the community will bounce back. "It will take 10 years if not more."
Many people here were struggling well before Michael made landfall.
The median household income in Panama City is just over $38,000. Twenty -two percent of residents here live in poverty.
Morgan is an elementary school teacher in the district, her husband a construction worker.
They say they're making it one day at a time, hoping more help comes quickly.