When newer technologies failed, radio worked.

PANAMA CITY — In the hours following one of the biggest news events in Bay County history, residents had little to no access to news.

Hurricane Michael’s 155 mile-per-hour winds had toppled power lines, television satellites, radio antennas and crushed newspaper offices. Cellphones were useless across much of the county with spotty-at-best service and no access to internet.

It was radio static across the radio dial, until about 7:30 p.m. on the day of the storm when 90.7 WKGC went live, broadcasting out of a small emergency studio at Gulf Coast State College’s Public Safety Building. In the immediate hours after the storm, the station became the primary source of information.

“It’s a scary amount of responsibility when the TV’s are out and your radio dial is dead except for one station,” said Tom Hoots, a volunteer with the station who normally hosts a daily morning show.

The studio, which was designed in anticipation of needing to broadcast during a disaster, is in the same building as the county’s Emergency Operations Center. That proximity means easy access to state and local officials.

Gov. Rick Scott, Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio all have been interviewed by the 90.7 team. Dozens of local leaders have been on air to discuss where residents can find emergency food, get housing supplies and find shelter.

Aside from 90.7, in the immediate aftermath of the storm, news was disseminated via a modern town-crier — police officers issuing announcements via bullhorn.

“We lost all communications. No cell service, no Verizon, no land lines, no internet, no social media. There was nothing,” said Parker Mayor Rich Musgrave. “What made the job doubly difficult was how do we as a government entity pass info along. We had to improvise a lot.”

Bay County public information officer Valerie Sale said the county, anticipating how difficult it would be for people to get information, hired a banner plane to advertise for 90.7 in the days leading up to the storm.

“I would have dropped messages from an airplane, I just didn’t have that asset,” Sale said.

The format is strictly informational, which is not easy for Hoots, who said he normally models his on-air persona after Statler, the crotchety Muppet character known for cracking jokes from a balcony.

“We are trying to balance between being amusing, being entertaining and not being insultingly funny,” Hoots said. “We are providing a lot of critical information.”

His frequent co-host, news director Victoria Richard (whose on-air name is Tori Shay), said they know that when people are in the midst of a tragedy, maintaining a cheerful, helpful tone is vital.

“Usually we would cut up a lot more. We are not doing that,” Richard said. “We are sticking to the information but trying to be friendly and helpful about it. I am holding back the silliness when he comes in the studio.”

The station has made efforts to combat rumors circulating after the storm, said Erica Goines, an associate professor at Gulf Coast who heads up the digital media department.

The hosts have gone on-air to quash a rumor that the college was giving away free cellphones or collecting clothing donations. Goines said in the days after a huge storm, when gas and food are in short supply and the roads are clogged, inaccurate information is especially costly.

Goines said she thinks the radio station’s relationship with the community has been strengthened through the experience.

“Most of us have been here since Tuesday for 24-7,” Goines said. “When you are in the middle of something like that that is so impactful to the community, it does kind of change relationships.”