standing, but even the ones that are still on their foundations are so heavily damaged, they re probably not going to be livable again because they re soaked through and through. this is what most of mexico beach looks like this morning. we have a camera up on top of the truck that we re using that you have to get a somewhat better context of where we are, but this is everywhere throughout the town. and 98, the main drag that goes through mexico beach, there are giant sections of it that are completely washed away. it s impossible for rescuers and for those trying to help out to even get through town very easily because you have to snake back through the neighborhoods to get around here. it is a massive, massive effort. we have spoken to a lot of people who are oh. you know what? we just lost miguel s shot. that goes. jim, to the point that even though the sun is out there, that is how difficult the service is. if we re losing those satellite
and telephone. unreachable and unrecognizable. our lives are gone here. yeah, all the stores, all the restaurants, everything. there s nothing left here anymore. all the homes on this side of the road and the beach, they re all gone. it was bad. it was bad. never want to go through it again. ever. next time, i m going opposite of wherever it is. i m leaving. i just can t describe the feeling, and i know i m not the only one here who feels the same. they ve lost everything. all right. let s go to miguel marquez, our colleague in mexico beach this morning. you re there. the sun is out, and it s flattened. it is flattened behind you. what are people saying to you? between that wind that was like a buzzsaw and then the storm surge which may have been 12 feet or higher that just wiped everything clean, this was a neighborhood. there are a few homes still
coast. if you look at some of the video that was shot it s really unbelievable because they aren t doing recovery down there, they re doing search and rescue. the governor touring mexico beach in just a little while in this hour. but they are doing a lot of rescues and evacuations even of people that decided to stay behind. officials say that as many as 250 may have stayed behind in mexico beach alone. that s a tough task as the day gets going here, jon. jon: jon: you were able to get up in the air over mexico beach. tell us what that was like. i grew up going and playing as a kid in the sands of the panhandle and to fly over and see this footage that we shot is just unbelievable to see entire homes ripped off their foundations and cast about like a toy house. the streets absolutely destroyed. the combination of the storm
case somebody is hearing this and gets to the area, they can ask around? oh, yes, thank you so much. tracy lived in beacon hymn, which is at kaylin lane, i think that s about four miles of mexico beach, really close there, still to mexico beach. and your brother lives in that area with her? yes, they had decided to stay back and just ride it out. he had boarded up her windows and you know he was confident that he could survive and you know, so i am, too, i got a lot of hope yet. lisa, i appreciate you being with us. if you could just stay with us for a moment. i want to go to mikel marquez in mexico beach. he has been helping get the word out about people there who came in the storm and want their loved ones elsewhere to know it. miguel, explain where you are and what you have been seeing.
shredded hangers. dramatic rescue from panama city beach after good samaritans flagged down a passing helicopter. first to phil keating live in mexico beach. it s a wasteland here in mexico beach. it will be awhile before there s any communications services here. i can only hear you through this satellite phone. take a look at this wreckage. the lumber, all of it came from the other side of the street. the storm surge pushed it in here and every single structure that you see, if it s not flattened, it s badly damaged. right there in front of you, that was a pottery store. nothing now. just a pile of wreckage and pots. everybody that had a place here, people that loved mexico beach, their hearts are devastated by