Florida town rallies behind team amid rebound from Michael

BLOUNTSTOWN, Fla. (AP) — As Hurricane Dorian skirts the East Coast and draws widespread attention, communities on the other side of Florida are still rebuilding from Hurricane Michael’s devastation, nearly a year after it destroyed thousands of homes and damaged many lives.

One such place is Blountstown, a community of 2,500 people in one of Florida’s poorest counties in the state’s Panhandle, where hurricane recovery has been especially slow.

But the town’s beloved football team has been a rallying point in the midst of destruction. The Tigers’ determination to play out last year’s season amid the destruction gave Blountsville something to cheer about.

And now, with the Tigers scheduled to play their first home game in a newly refurbished stadium since last year’s hurricane, Blountsville once again has something to cheer about.