PANAMA CITY, Fla. – As hurricane season approaches, many people in the Panhandle are still rebuilding after Hurricane Michael more than six months ago.
“I think to a lot of people, it’s just as raw today as it was the day after the storm,” explained Matthew Farrar who grew up in Panama City. He is making a documentary about Hurricane Michael and the challenges residents are facing as they try to rebuild and move forward. The documentary is called "Scarred".
KICKSTARTER PAGE: Scarred: Hurricane Michael and the Florida Panhandle
“There’s quite literally a scar that runs through the Panhandle at this point,” Farrar said. “You can see it from satellite imagery. It’s about 35 miles wide that just cuts up from the end of the Panhandle all the way up to the state line.”
Farrar was not there when the hurricane hit but several members of his family rode out the storm at his grandfather’s house. He couldn’t reach them for 48 hours after the storm.
“This is a personal story for me,” explained Farrar. “I grew up here in Panama City. My family went through the storm right here in Panama City. My mom, my grandfather, my pregnant sister, my brother-in-law, and my niece were huddled in a hallway right here in Panama City during the storm with mattresses on top of them as the house collapsed and water started pouring in as the house was destroyed around them.”
The category 5 storm damaged thousands of homes in Panama City and Mexico Beach. More than six months after the storm, hundreds of roofs are still covered with blue tarps and many homes and businesses look untouched. Many families are living in tents or RV’s until they can rebuild. Through the documentary, Farrar wants to share the stories from those impacted by the storm.
“People still don’t have jobs,” Farrar said. “People still don’t have places to live. Rentals are doubling or tripling and going through the roof. People don’t have anywhere to live while they are waiting for their house to be repaired or while they are waiting for that insurance check to come in. Those are real stories and there are not a few of them, there’s a lot of them.”
"Scarred" will be Farrar’s first film. He said he hopes it sheds a light on the magnitude of the devastation and shows people across the country what those in the Panhandle are dealing with.
“I want people to feel listened to,” explained Farrar. “I want people to feel like others who weren’t there understand what they are going through and what’s happening.”
Farrar expects the film to be between 30 and 60 minutes long. He hopes it will be finished by the end of the summer.