Hurricane Michael in the Area of Mexico Beach, Florida
Andrew B. Kennedy, Andrew Copp, Matthew Florence, Anderson Gradel, Kurtis R. Gurley, Matthew S. Janssen, James M. Kaihatu, Douglas Krafft, Patrick Lynett, Margaret Owensby, Jean‐Paul Pinelli, David O. Prevatt, Spencer M. Rogers, David B. Roueche, Z. Silver
Abstract
Category 5 Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida on October 9, 2018, with measured high water marks (HWMs) reaching 7.2 m NAVD88. The town itself received great damage, with many areas destroyed down to the foundations. In this study, we document the storm and its effects on the greater Mexico Beach area: hazard, structural damage, and their relationships. Wave and surge damage was nearly total for low-lying properties, but damage decreased greatly with increasing elevation. Major wave and surge damage was noted in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) X zones, which are out of the 100-year floodplain, and it is suggested that the 100-year storm is a deficient measure for categorizing flood risk.