Hurricane leaves Mexico Beach in shreds

(12 Oct 2018) Hurricane Michael all but erased the tiny community of Mexico Beach on Florida's Gulf Coast, reducing some homes to mere concrete slabs and leaving others in shreds. Rescuers and residents struggled Thursday to get into town to assess the damage and search for the missing after it was slammed by 155 mph (250 kph) winds and a 9-foot (2.7-meter) storm surge. The town of about 1,200 residents had been a quiet weekend retreat for tourists and residents of the state capital, Tallahassee, offering a handful of independent hotels and restaurants. Many of those buildings are now destroyed. Debris now litters the town's streets, jammed together helter-skelter with vehicles and boats. The area is on the western stretch of what's called Florida's Forgotten Coast, so named because it doesn't have the heavy development of places like Panama City. Instead of students on spring break, it attracts visitors looking for quiet weekends and local oysters. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...