Editing Mexico Beach, Florida (section)

==History==
The '''City of Mexico Beach''' was [[plat|founded]] in 1946 when [[real estate development]] began, but officially incorporated as a municipality in 1967.<ref name=MeBeHi/><ref name=MexBeaInc/><ref name=MBInc/>

Before Hurricane Michael, "the town was "old Florida," ... a collection of 50-year-old [[bungalow]]s and newer vacation homes on [[Stilts (architecture)|stilts]]," where tourists walked on white sand beaches.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insideclimatenews.org/american-climate/essay/loss|title=The Common Language of Loss|last=Banerjee|first=Neela|date=2019-11-25|website=[[InsideClimate News]]|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-08}}</ref>

On November 22, 1985, [[Hurricane Kate (1985)|Hurricane Kate]]'s eye passed over Mexico Beach. [[List of Category 2 Atlantic hurricanes|Category 2]] winds and tides destroyed beachfront homes and businesses.

===Hurricane Michael===
{{Further information|Hurricane Michael}}
[[Hurricane Michael]] made landfall near Mexico Beach on October 10, 2018, just before 1 p.m. local time with maximum sustained winds of {{convert|160|mph}}, the first [[List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes|Category 5 hurricane]] to make landfall in the United States since [[Hurricane Andrew]] in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/hurricane-michael-upgraded-to-category-5-at-time-of-us-landfall|title=Hurricane Michael upgraded to a Category 5 at time of U.S. landfall &#124; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|website=www.noaa.gov|date=April 19, 2019 }}</ref> Michael made history as the third strongest (by pressure) and fourth strongest (by wind speed) landfalling storm in the continental [[United States]].<ref>"[https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/reports-conditions-deteriorate-in-florida-panhandle-as-unprecedented-category-4-hurricane-michaels-landfall-nears/70006306 Category 4 Hurricane Michael's Landfall]". ''Accuweather''. October 10, 2018.</ref> The storm caused extensive damage to the community, and to the nearby [[Tyndall Air Force Base]]. Nearly all homes were totally destroyed. [[Brock Long]], the [[FEMA]] administrator, told [[CNN]] that Mexico Beach was "wiped out" and referred to the community as "ground zero".<ref>{{cite news |author=Jenni Fink |url=https://www.newsweek.com/hurricane-michael-damage-destruction-where-mexico-beach-florida-whats-its-1165651|title=Hurricane Michael Damage, Destruction: Where is Mexico Beach, Florida, What's Its Future? |date=October 11, 2018|website=Newsweek|access-date=October 12, 2018}}</ref> The elementary school and city hall were among the buildings devastated;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whec.com/news/official-searchers-find-bodies-in-hurricane-stricken-town/5106489/?cat=565|title=Official: Searchers find bodies in hurricane-stricken town|date=October 12, 2018|website=WHEC-TV NEWS 10 NBC|access-date=October 13, 2018}}</ref> the pier washed away, and the water tower was knocked down.

A report by the State indicated that roughly 285 people in Mexico Beach had declined to evacuate the area, although some of those may have left before the peak of the storm. Three people from Mexico Beach were listed among the deaths due to the hurricane. At that time, Mayor Al Cathey told residents it might be months before electricity, water, and plumbing were restored.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Patricia Sullivan |author2=Emily Wax-Thibodeaux |author3=Annie Gowen |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Monster-nearly-obliterates-a-tiny-Florida-beach-13303805.php#photo-16315880 |title='Monster' nearly obliterates a tiny Florida beach town |newspaper=Washington Post |via=San Francisco Chronicle |date=October 12, 2018 |access-date=October 13, 2018 }}</ref>

===Rebuilding===
The city has rebuilt since the storm, with aid from the federal government and its own expenditures. The population of the county rebounded by 2024.<ref name=Cobb2024 />