AFTERMATH

At Least 26 People Have Now Died From Hurricane Michael

Death toll rises as more places become accessible.

At least 26 people are now confirmed to have died in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Most of the dead—at least 16—were in Florida when the Category 4 storm struck, according to new Associate dPress numbers. Most of them were in the coastal counties that took a direct hit from the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental U.S. in nearly 50 years. Twelve of the deaths were in Bay County, where the storm slammed ashore with 155 mph winds. The tally also includes 10 deaths in Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina. Meanwhile, nearly 137,000 Florida customers remain without power, according to state emergency management officials. Cellphone service has started returning to stricken regions—Verizon service has resumed in Panama City, where residents haven’t been able to contact relatives or call for help. In Georgia, farmers nearing harvest time are seeing widespread damage to their pecan and cotton crops, as well as vast losses to the state’s poultry industry, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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