New Bay County Library Exhibit Marks 5-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Michael

Bay County, FL.– At noon Friday, Sept. 29, an interactive exhibit marking the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Michael opens at the Bay County Library and runs through Oct. 19. The exhibit will offer a variety of educational opportunities for children and adults and provide a fun and entertaining way to review how Bay County’s recovery from the storm has progressed over the years.

The exhibit is entitled “Hurricane Michael: A Journey of Strength and Resilience.” It officially opens at noon on Friday, Sept. 29 and will be open during normal Bay County Public Library hours through Oct. 19. The exhibit is free to the public and boasts several features.

Hurricane Michael devastated Mexico Beach, Florida on Oct. 10, 2018. (U.S. Coast Guard)

“We wanted to do more than rehash the horrors of this terrible event,” Bay County Commission Chairman Tommy Hamm said. “Anyone who was here then remembers distinctly what a terrible day Oct. 10, 2018 was for our community. But what they may not realize is just how far we’ve come in our efforts to rebuild and recover over the last five years.”

The exhibit includes a self-guided, interactive display that provides information about other historical storms in Bay County, details surrounding Hurricane Michael’s approach, landfall, immediate and shorter-term recovery efforts as well as details about state and federal funding collected and projects undertaken since the storm and other important hurricane-related information.

It also includes a children’s learning center, complete with weather science stem projects, a real-life hurricane simulator, and swag bags to take home, while supplies last.

“A big goal of this project was to make sure that it was visually impactful,” Sarah Burris, Bay County Library communications and marketing coordinator, said. “We’ve included lots of elements to give the exhibit dimension, including an overhead, lighted art installation, artifacts from the storm, and photos and videos.”

Another element of interest that visually showcases the community’s rebuilding progress, she said, is a 65-inch touch monitor where a visitor may use the “swipe app” to enter his or her address and view a split screen of a particular location as it looked on Oct. 12, 2018, just two days after the storm, and as it looks now, nearly five years later.

GOES East GeoColor Imagery of Hurricane Michael (October 10, 2018)

“We are very excited about offering this project to the people of Bay County, especially the children,” Burris said. “It’s going to be a great way for them to learn about weather and science, but also about how far we’ve come on this road to recovery.”

The exhibit is presented in partnership with the Bay County Board of County Commissioners, the Bay County Public Library, ReBuild Bay County, and UF/IFAS Extension Bay County.