Florida

Wireless Company Outlines Upgrades After Massive Damage in Florida Panhandle After Hurricane Michael

What to Know

  • The Category 5 storm carried winds of 160 miles per hour, killing a total of 74 people and costing nearly $25 billion.

As the state of Florida prepares for the heart of the 2019 Hurricane Season, one wireless company says it is prepared much better to serve the areas devastated hardest across the panhandle last year by Hurricane Michael.

Verizon officials, in a meeting this week with the Chamber of Commerce in Panama City Beach, admitted that they received an “unprecedented” amount of damage to their fiber network during the storm that struck the areas around the city in October 2018 – but insist they are prepared if another major storm strikes the area.

"We have invested significantly in satellite assets. So, these assets are similar to what we had prior, but they have satellite connectivity so you don't need the fiber backhaul for that," Verizon Spokesperson Kate Jay told NBC affiliate WJHG-TV. "Should we experience fiber damage like that again, we would have these assets."

The Category 5 storm carried winds of 160 miles per hour, killing a total of 74 people – 59 in the United States – and costing nearly $25 billion in damages.

Contact Us