Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Florida Panhandle as the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. in over 25 years, and third strongest ever at 155 mph. The weakened storm brought strong wind and rain across Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia before heading back out to sea. Billy Graham chaplains have deployed to Albany, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle to offer emotional and spiritual care to devastated communities.
A resident sits among the wreckage in Mexico Beach, Florida, where the hurricane first hit land.
People pass by giant piles of destruction on a street framed by downed power lines in Mexico Beach. State agencies and utilities reported more than 1.4 million people lost power after the storm.
A woman searches through the rubble for her friend, who stayed behind during the storm.
"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him." —Nahum 1:7
Residents remove belongings after trees fell on their home in Panama City, Florida. Michael's winds were just shy of a Category 5 hurricane when the storm made landfall. Florida's Gov. Rick Scott called it an "absolute monster."
First responders have been going door-to-door to check on residents who stayed during Hurricane Michael. Nineteen deaths have been attributed to the storm, and authorities expect the death toll to rise as search crews continue going through affected areas.
"Pray for those who have lost everything to the water and wind of Michael," Franklin Graham tweeted last week. Demolished homes, downed trees and significant flooding are all results of the storm. Even in the midst of disaster, you can have peace through a relationship with God.
