PANAMA CITY, Fla. — After a hurricane, there are obvious signs of damage, from ripped-off roofs to debris littering street corners. There may also be trees that jut out at odd angles, with power poles fallen over like pick-up sticks.

But some hurt is harder to see on the surface, especially for survivors of Hurricane Michael.

“It’s triage. The students are in turmoil, homes upside down," said Bay District Schools Superintendent William Husfelt. “We are overwhelmed. Our counselors are overwhelmed.”

For the last 38 years, Husfelt's worked in the district in various roles, from teacher to coach, principal to superintendent.

But despite his tenure, what happened on October 10, 2018 remains shocking.

“This storm didn’t care if you were rich, poor, black, white — didn’t care (about) anything. It affected all of us the same way," he said.

Housing and Mental Health

Following Hurricane Michael, Bay District Schools closed for about a month.

Of their 40 schools in district, all got some damage. About 35 were badly damaged, and the district began shifting students around, shuttering some schools, like Springfield Elementary, and "mothballing" others.

When classes resumed, around 17 percent of students did not return. Those who did dealt with unstable housing situations. Homes were in disrepair — suddenly unaffordable or gone altogether.

“We had students that lost everything overnight. They went to bed, got up (the) next morning, everything fine. And by that evening, they lost everything," Husfelt said.

He added that while housing remains the root of the district's problems, the result is students in distress and some acting out.

Last year post-storm, 700 students were referred for behavioral issues, and more than 100 were Baker Acted. This year, eight weeks into the new school year, the district's Baker Acted another 60.

The district said that last year was the first time they began diligently tracking the numbers, after noticing an uptick.

But it's not just students who are suffering.

“To see the community I grew up in nearly wiped off the map, it’s heartbreaking," said Blythe Carpenter, Jinks Middle School Principal.

Carpenter said she's been focusing on ensuring teachers also get mental health help.

“I’ve always told them they have to take care of their families, themselves, and then they’ll have something left to give to our students," she said.

She's hoping little victories — like the school's recent groundbreaking on their new gym — will boost morale.

“I think it’s going to go a long way in lifting some spirits," Carpenter said.

Moving Forward

Tackling a pervasive problem, like the one Bay District Schools faces, is difficult.

But Husfelt said that they’ve made strides, installing Telehealth kiosks in each school in order to allow students to connect with counselors and parents to listen in remotely.

They have also hired mental health counselors and are leveraging agreements with local agencies for mental health counseling.

But Husfelt said help is slow. The district begged FEMA for money for mental health services to no avail.

“There are two groups that need to be reminded of what happened here," he said. "Tallahassee, Florida and Washington, D.C. That’s their responsibility."