Viewfinder: Holding Church Service in the Wake of Hurricane Michael

Author:: Pacific Standard Staff
Publish date:: Oct 15, 2018

Worshipers attend Sunday service in the parking lot of Hiland Park Baptist Church on October 14th, 2018, in Panama City, Florida. The church building was damaged by Hurricane Michael. — Worshipers attend Sunday service in the parking lot of Hiland Park Baptist Church on October 14th, 2018, in Panama City, Florida. The church building was damaged by Hurricane Michael.
(Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Viewfinder is Pacific Standard's daily photo feature, showcasing one image from the news.

Damaged buildings and a flooded street are seen after Hurricane Michael passed through the downtown area of Panama City, Florida, on October 10th, 2018. The hurricane hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 4 storm.

Damaged buildings and a flooded street are seen after Hurricane Michael passed through the downtown area of Panama City, Florida, on October 10th, 2018.

A tree rests on the roof of a home that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael on May 9th, 2019, in Mexico Beach, Florida. Seven months after the Category 5 hurricane made landfall near the small community, the town is still littered with damaged and destroyed homes and businesses. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $1.1 billion has been spent on Hurricane Michael-related response and recovery efforts in the state.

A tree rests on the roof of a home that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael on May 9th, 2019, in Mexico Beach, Florida.

Sri Lankan officials inspect St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, after one of the multiple explosions targeting churches and hotels on Easter Sunday, April 21st, 2019. Across three church bombings, and three luxury hotel bombings, at least 207 people were killed and hundreds more injured.

Across three church and three luxury hotel bombings in Negombo, at least 207 people were killed and hundreds more injured.

A view of the damaged caused by Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Florida, on October 13th, 2018.

Preliminary estimates of the damage are just coming in.

Toppled trees are seen after Hurricane Michael passed through the area on October 11th, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Florida.

From the Archives

The storm wiped out nearly a million acres of crops and caused $158 million in agricultural losses.

A 40-foot cross that honors 49 fallen World War I soldiers from Prince George's County, Maryland, stands at the busy intersection of Bladensberg and Annapolis roads and Baltimore Avenue on February 28th, 2019, in Bladensburg, Maryland. The cross is at the heart of a Supreme Court case argued by justices this week about whether the symbol runs afoul of the First Amendment's ban on government establishment of religion by sending a message of favoritism to Christianity.

A 40-foot cross that honors fallen World War I soldiers stands at a busy intersection on February 28th, 2019, in Bladensburg, Maryland.