'It's exciting': Panama City reinstalls century-old clock damaged by Hurricane Michael

Nathan Cobb, Panama City News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY − A historic piece of downtown Panama City damaged five years ago by Hurricane Michael was reinstalled last week, but in a new location.

According to information from Panama City, the city's century-old clock was installed by crews last Thursday and Friday at 4th Street and Harrison Avenue, also locally referred to as "Four Points Plaza." The clock was severely damaged by the Category 5 storm, which struck the Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018.

This marks the clock's third location in Downtown Panama City. The others were at Harrison Avenue and Beach Drive, where it sat from 1926 to 1957; and Harrison Avenue and 7th Street, where it sat from 1957 to 2019.

Crews have reinstalled Panama City's historic century-old clock that was heavily damaged five years ago by Category 5 Hurricane Michael.
Crews have reinstalled Panama City's historic century-old clock that was heavily damaged five years ago by Category 5 Hurricane Michael.

"I think it's exciting," said Jonathan Hayes, public works director for Panama City. "I just love ... how we were able to blend the history and the historical components of downtown Panama City with the rebirth and revitalization (of downtown)."

Hayes notes that although some new components were added to the clock, it was restored to look "very similar" to how it did prior to Hurricane Michael.

Officials planned a rededication ceremony for the clock at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in honor of the storm's fifth anniversary.

The city announced the ceremony and that the clock was reinstalled in a Facebook post on Friday. As of Monday afternoon, the post had about 30 comments, more than 80 shares and almost 460 reactions.

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Panama City was among areas hardest hit by Michael, and the city has secured more than $300 million in disaster relief funds since landfall. About $60 million worth of storm-related construction is underway throughout the city, and another $40 million in projects are slated to soon break ground.

"I think this is significant because it is downtown Panama City, and the fact that it mostly survived even though it did undertake significant damage," Hayes said. "To see it restored and put back in the middle of the (downtown) on the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Michael, I think, is definitely significant."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City reinstalls historic clock 5 years after Hurricane Michael