Rescuers Find First Body In Town Worst Hit By Hurricane Michael (2 Videos)

Searchers on Friday uncovered the first body in the rubble of the Florida town of Mexico Beach, which was nearly obliterated by Hurricane Michael, as the toll from the historic storm rose to at least 18 and was expected to climb further.

[This video is courtesy of WPLG Miami]

Rescue teams, hampered by power and telephone outages, used cadaver dogs, drones and heavy equipment to hunt 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 earlier hurricanes.

“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 dead man found in Mexico Beach, said Joseph Zahralban, Miami’s fire chief who was leading a search and rescue unit. He said it was unclear if the man lived alone or with a family.

[This video is courtesy of WFOR Miami}

Three deaths were reported in Marianna, in Jackson County, Florida, Sheriff Lou Roberts told a news conference on Friday afternoon.

Florida accounts for nine of the storm-related deaths, with five more in Virginia, three in North Carolina and one in Georgia.