Hard-charging Hurricane Michael gained strength Tuesday on its march toward Florida's Gulf Coast, gaining Category 2 status and poised to roar through the state with historic devastation.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm could make landfall Wednesday afternoon near Panama City as a Category 3 storm with torrential rains and sustained winds of up to 120 mph. Gov. Rick Scott said that the state could begin feeling the impact of the storm late Tuesday.
"Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades," Scott said from the state's Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. "It's going to be historic, a massive storm that could bring devastation."
Scott declared a state of emergency for 35 counties and said he was seeking a federal disaster declaration from President Donald Trump, who promised full support for Florida's efforts. Evacuations already had been ordered in parts of 10 counties.
More than 10,000 people were ordered out of Panama City Beach alone, effective at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“We’ve practiced this many times. This is game time," Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said. "This is the real thing, a significant threat to life and safety."
Tracker: Follow Hurricane Michael's path
More: Hurricane Michael: The science of predicting landfall
Related: Hurricane Michael forces cruise ships to reroute
The Florida Panhandle, southeast Alabama and southern Georgia will see 4 to 8 inches, with isolated areas facing 12 inches, Scott said. Storm surge could reach a monstrous 12 feet in some areas – enough to "easily go over the roofs of some houses," he said.
FEMA administrator Brock Long said the agency was prepared for the storm in all the states likely to feel Michael's impact.
The center, citing Michael’s dangerous trifecta of storm surge, flash flooding and winds, described the seventh hurricane of the Atlantic season as “life-threatening.” As of 8 a.m. EDT, Michael was moving north-northwest at 12 mph and positioned about 365 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Michael “a potentially catastrophic storm" for the capital city.
"Folks are ready from the government side, but we need citizens to also be ready," said Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is the Democratic candidate for governor in next month's election. "They are their best first responders."
A hurricane warning was in effect for the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River, with a hurricane watch in place from the Alabama-Florida border to the Mississippi-Alabama border.
On its current track, Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico throughout Tuesday and then move inland over the Panhandle or Big Bend area of Florida on Wednesday, according to the hurricane center. From there, Michael would move northeastward across the southeastern states on Wednesday night and Thursday.
Trump, speaking Monday to the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Orlando, urged residents to heed local warnings and pledged the federal government's support.
“Never ends, but we’re all prepared and hopefully it won’t be as bad as it’s looking,” Trump said. “It looked a couple of days ago like it was not going to be much, and now it’s looking like it could be a very big one, so we’re prepared. And good luck.”
Contributing: Melissa Nelson Gabriel and Kevin Robinson, Pensacola News Journal, USA TODAY Network.
Hard-charging Hurricane Michael gained strength Tuesday on its march toward Florida's Gulf Coast, gaining Category 2 status and poised to roar through the state with historic devastation.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm could make landfall Wednesday afternoon near Panama City as a Category 3 storm with torrential rains and sustained winds of up to 120 mph. Gov. Rick Scott said that the state could begin feeling the impact of the storm late Tuesday.
"Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades," Scott said from the state's Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. "It's going to be historic, a massive storm that could bring devastation."
Scott declared a state of emergency for 35 counties and said he was seeking a federal disaster declaration from President Donald Trump, who promised full support for Florida's efforts. Evacuations already had been ordered in parts of 10 counties.
More than 10,000 people were ordered out of Panama City Beach alone, effective at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“We’ve practiced this many times. This is game time," Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said. "This is the real thing, a significant threat to life and safety."
Tracker: Follow Hurricane Michael's path
More: Hurricane Michael: The science of predicting landfall
Related: Hurricane Michael forces cruise ships to reroute
The Florida Panhandle, southeast Alabama and southern Georgia will see 4 to 8 inches, with isolated areas facing 12 inches, Scott said. Storm surge could reach a monstrous 12 feet in some areas – enough to "easily go over the roofs of some houses," he said.
FEMA administrator Brock Long said the agency was prepared for the storm in all the states likely to feel Michael's impact.
The center, citing Michael’s dangerous trifecta of storm surge, flash flooding and winds, described the seventh hurricane of the Atlantic season as “life-threatening.” As of 8 a.m. EDT, Michael was moving north-northwest at 12 mph and positioned about 365 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Michael “a potentially catastrophic storm" for the capital city.
"Folks are ready from the government side, but we need citizens to also be ready," said Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is the Democratic candidate for governor in next month's election. "They are their best first responders."
A hurricane warning was in effect for the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River, with a hurricane watch in place from the Alabama-Florida border to the Mississippi-Alabama border.
On its current track, Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico throughout Tuesday and then move inland over the Panhandle or Big Bend area of Florida on Wednesday, according to the hurricane center. From there, Michael would move northeastward across the southeastern states on Wednesday night and Thursday.
Trump, speaking Monday to the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Orlando, urged residents to heed local warnings and pledged the federal government's support.
“Never ends, but we’re all prepared and hopefully it won’t be as bad as it’s looking,” Trump said. “It looked a couple of days ago like it was not going to be much, and now it’s looking like it could be a very big one, so we’re prepared. And good luck.”
Contributing: Melissa Nelson Gabriel and Kevin Robinson, Pensacola News Journal, USA TODAY Network.
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