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Franklin County rebuilds after Hurricane Michael

Franklin County rebuilds after hurricane Michael
Franklin County rebuilds after hurricane Michael
Posted at 4:25 PM, Dec 07, 2018
and last updated 2019-10-02 16:04:13-04

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) – Two months after Hurricane Michael ravaged North Florida and South Georgia, Franklin County residents are still in recovery mode.

"It's going to take a couple of years for everybody, I mean there's a lot of loss here. A lot of docks were lost, there's beach erosion. It's going to take a toll, I'm going to say it's a couple of years," said Johnna Holt.

It takes time to rebuild. In Franklin County, there's not a more obvious sign of Michael than coastal Highway 98, which connects Carrabelle to Saint George Island.

Holt said she was impressed by how quickly road crews arrived.

"Within one day, they were out here with dozers and everything, taking everything and putting it on the beach and they put the road back within one day. I mean, people couldn't get from Eastpoint to Carrabelle and any further because the road was gone. I mean they did a fabulous job they really did," said Holt.

But even now, Highway 98 is not smooth sailing and Sheriff A.J. Smith encourages drivers to be cautious. 

"Slow down on these patches where the road was washed away because they are very dangerous because I notice when I'm driving people are swerving," said Smith.

It's a long road to recovery, but residents in Franklin County believe tourists will return to the shores.