LAKELAND, Fla. — It's been about three months since Hurricane Michael hit the Panhandle, causing billions of dollars in damage.

While the start of the 2019 Hurricane Season isn't until June, experts say it's critical to start preparing now.

Spectrum News brought together meteorologists, emergency management officials, disaster relief workers and urban planners on Wednesday to discuss hurricane recovery and preparedness at a special town hall event entitled "Hurricane Michael: Florida Impact." Spectrum Bay News 9's Veronica Cintron and Spectrum News 13's Erin Murray hosted the event.

Part of the discussion involved revisiting areas heavily damaged by Michael. In Mexico Beach, which still looks much the way it did in the days following the storm, residents shared stories about the slow pace of recovery and how its far from over.

In Panama City, residents C.J. and Beckie Johnson shared their story of how the situation with their damaged home has only gotten worse since the storm.

"They pulled a little around the windows, and the walls, and then the ceilings, and it keeps growing," C.J. said, describing the ongoing repair and demolition work. "It may end up being a full 100 percent tear-out."

The event panel included Spectrum News chief meteorologists Mike Clay and Bryan Karrick; Lt. Colonel Julio of the Florida National Guard; Bryan Koon, former director of Florida Emergency Management; Joe Borries, Pinellas County Emergency Operations Management; Kimberly Prosser, Brevard County Emergency Management; Bob Henriquez, Hillsborough County Property Appraiser, and Sean Sullivan with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.

They agreed a hurricane's impact can be felt almost anywhere in Florida, and that coastal areas are most vulnerable. 

"I think it's fair to say the potential is there for catastrophic damage," said Sullivan.

When speaking about preparedness, panelists said residents should know what kind of insurance they have, have an evacuation plan, and keep an eye on forecasts during storm season.

"I think it emphasizes the importance of preparing and insuring against future storms," said Bryan Koon, Former Director of Florida Emergency Management. "If you don't have the appropriate levels of insurance and think about what's going to happen, the recovery part is going to be much, much harder and we're seeing that as individuals and communities struggle in the aftermath of the storm right now." 

"Hurricane Michael: Florida Impact" will re-air on Saturday night at 7 p.m.