PANAMA CITY The twisted wreckage of Jinks Middle School s gym was an early example of Hurricane Michael s devastating wrath to millions of Americans.
As of Monday, it s a sign of Bay County s endurance and recovery since the historic storm in 2018.
Bay District Schools officials unveiled Jinks new $7 million, 30,000-square-foot gym on Monday, a little more than two years after Hurricane Michael destroyed the previous one. A combination of insurance money and federal recovery aid will cover the cost.
After the Category 5 hurricane devastated the county, national media quickly used photos and videos of the crushed gym to illustrate the storm s power. Drone footage of the demolished top of the gym and the blown-apart walls circulated all over the country.