More than a thousand remain missing a week after Hurricane Michael

[nitpicker]

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-storm-michael/more-than-a-thousand-remain-missing-a-week-after-hurricane-michael-idUKKCN1MR10Q?il=0

October 17, 2018 / 4:41 AM / Updated 10 minutes ago

More than a thousand remain missing a week after Hurricane Michael

Brian Snyder

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - More than a thousand people were still missing on Wednesday a week after Hurricane Michael flattened communities across the Florida Panhandle, killing at least 27.

Teams made up of hundreds of volunteers with the Houston-based CrowdSource Rescue organization were searching for more than 1,135 people in Florida who lost contact with friends and family, Matthew Marchetti, co-founder of Houston-based CrowdSource Rescue. Most of those missing are from Panama City and many are elderly, disabled, impoverished, or live alone, Marchetti said.

Florida officials have not given a number for how many people are considered to be missing. Those who are missing may be with relatives and friends, and not necessarily presumed dead.

Debris, downed trees and power lines have hampered access to stranded people, but CrowdSource said a number of its missing person reports resulted from widespread phone and power outages.

The death toll includes 17 in Florida, one in Georgia, three in North Carolina and six in Virginia, according to a Reuters tally of official reports. Officials said medical examiners were determining whether another four deaths in Florida were due to the storm.
(snip)

In Mexico Beach, which took a direct hit, the number of people missing dropped to three on Tuesday, said Rex Putnal, a city councillor. A day earlier, it was more than 30. The town of 1,200 residents had reported two fatalities as of Monday.
(snip)

[nitpicker]

1. I hope almost everyone is merely without communications

Or maybe don't know they are considered missing.

[malaise]

2. Did you see that hurricane?

Communications is an issue, but many homes with people in them went out with the storm surge into the Gulf of Mexico.
I'd love to know what happened to the man on TV who talked about his very pregnant wife (almost nine months) and why they were staying.
Truth will out after the elections.