Searchers on Friday found the first body in the rubble of the Florida coastal town of Mexico Beach, which was nearly obliterated by Hurricane Michael, as the toll from the historic storm rose to at least 17 and was expected to rise.
Rescue teams, hampered by power and phone outages, used cadaver dogs, drones and heavy equipment to search for hundreds of people unaccounted for in devastated communities across the Florida Panhandle.
“I’ve watched on television, thinking of what others have experienced, like in the Carolinas and Texas,” Mexico Beach Mayor Al Cathey told reporters referring to hurricanes this year and last. “But it’s different when you walk down and see this, and your emotions run away. This is just a small unique coastal community.”
No other information was available about the deceased man found in Mexico Beach, said Joseph Zahralban, Miami’s fire chief and the task force leader of a search and rescue unit. He said it was…