TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) – For the Sunshine State and parts of the nation's South-east the season will be remembered for the powerful and deadly Hurricane Michael.
It made landfall October 10 in the Panhandle and traveled into Southwest Georgia with major hurricane force winds.
Fifty days after the storm left parts of Northwest Florida in ruins, major recovery efforts are ongoing. Officials have yet to put final figures on the damages.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Lauren Nash said the storm's rapid intensification caught many people by surprise.
"We like to tell people to prepare for one category higher. So, we were preparing a lot of our partners for a Cat 4 hurricane, even though it was only forecast to may be a two or three. We want people to be prepared in case it gets worse. Michael was a perfect example of that actually happening," said Nash.
The State Division of Emergency Management put the death count from Michael at 43 as of Monday.
The deaths included at least eight attributed to storm surge floodwaters or trees falling on homes.
The latest numbers available show more than 125,000 insurance claims have been filed because of Michael with total estimated insured losses at $3.4 billion dollars.
