'It was life or death': Face to face with Michael's fury

Residents tell of frantic escapes from hurricane as toll rises to 18

MEXICO BEACH, Florida - Tom Garcia watched in terror as fingers of water pushed inland across the beach and began filling up his home.

His wife handed him a drill and Garcia used screws to pin his front and back door shut. But soon the storm surge from Hurricane Michael was up to his chest. His dogs sat on his bed as it floated. He said it took all of his strength to hold his sliding door shut as the waters outside the glass rose higher than those flooding the house.