Hurricane Michael aftermath in 3 minutes: 65 images of 10 cities
Hurricane Michael left devastation in it’s wake in 2018. The state of Florida continues to rebuild after the storm made landfall in Mexico Beach.
Tallahassee Democrat
It’s that beloved time of year — when HGTV announces their upcoming Dream House Sweepstakes!
And for 2024, the network is heading back to the Sunshine State for 2024’s Dream House.
Located on Anastasia Island, the home is the fifth HGTV Dream Home in Florida. It joins previous homes places, such as Merritt Island, Islamorada and Rosemary Beach.
Back in 2003, HGTV’s Dream House was also in Florida. But that home was in a coastal region that would be demolished by Hurricane Michael 15 years later. Is the Dream House still standing 20 years later?
Where was the 2003 HGTV Dream House? What were the features of the house?
The 2003 HGTV Dream House was located in Mexico Beach, in Florida’s Panhandle. According to past press releases, HGTV officials described the house as a “bay-side compound with extraordinary views and amenities.”
“The 2,800-square-foot home sits on a 10,000-acre preserve of coastal forest situated on the beautiful East Bay of the Florida Gulf of Mexico,” HGTV wrote online. “The sprawling compound displays imaginative architecture that provides a relaxed, comfortable camp feel with contemporary qualities.”
Some of the features of the home included a main compound with a great room, master suite and bunk house, open summer kitchen and second story private office through a boardwalk. The other side of the compound had a garden room and green house, as well as a private deck and zen-like spa deck.
It also had access to the water and a boat house equipped with a fishing boat for nautical adventures.
Who won the 2003 HGTV Dream House?
In an 2006 article from the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, they interviewed John Groszkiewicz, an Erie County resident who won the sweepstakes home. He said that HGTV officials told them that actually living in the house wasn’t what the contest was all about.
“They told us the dream’s not so much the house. The dream is what happens after you sell the house,” he said.
According to the article, Groszkiewicz and his family visited their house several times before selling it shortly after Labor Day 2003 for around $800,000.
“I would have loved to move down there,” Groszkiewicz said. They had tried to find a way to afford to keep the house, but none of the options worked out.
When did Hurricane Michael hit Mexico Beach?
On Oct. 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael roared ashore in Bay County with close to 160 mph winds and a storm surge recorded up to 14 feet, devastating every city in the county and much of the eastern Panhandle.
Right as it reached the status of a Category 5 storm, it made landfall just near Mexico Beach.
How much did Hurricane Michael damage Mexico Beach, the Panhandle?
For Mexico Beach alone, the small beach town saw four fatalities, damage to 85% of the buildings in the town and extensive damage to its power grid and water systems.
“It was one of the worst days of my life,” former Mexico Beach Mayor Al Cathey said back in 2021 on seeing the damage afterward. “I saw a half of dozen people on my walk through town and it was just disbelief. And they would ask me things like ‘What are we going to do?’ I didn’t know what we were going to do.”
As for surrounding parts of Bay County, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that 90% of the structures in Panama City were damaged or destroyed and the city collected 5.7 million cubic yards of debris. Panama City alone collected more debris than the affected 50 counties combined for Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Is HGTV’s former Dream House still standing 20 years later?
Based on a search in Bay County’s Property Appraiser website, the house is still standing despite Hurricane Michael’s wrath in 2018. The house is off the market, last sold in December of 2016 for $675,000.
Zillow’s latest Zestimate of the home is $1.279 million.
Where is HGTV’s 2024 Dream House?
Described as “a grand coastal escape,” HGTV’s 2024 Dream Home is located Anastasia Island in Northeast Florida.
The three-bedroom, four-bathroom home is about 3,300 square feet with views of the Matanzas River and the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
The home was designed by architect Michael Stauffer and built by local builder Glenn Layton Homes. The home’s interior design was by Brian Patrick Flynn. The home combines classic coastal elegance with modern touches and layers of natural textures drenched in blue and white hues.
The official entry period of the HGTV Dream Home 2024 is 9 a.m. Eastern Time Dec. 22 through 5 p.m. Feb. 15. Eligible fans can enter daily at HGTV.com and FoodNetwork.com, where they will also find full details and the official rules, as well as additional home features.
Gregory Daniels is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, he explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture. Gregory enjoys staying ahead of the curve and sharing emerging trends with his readers.
