Hurricane Michael continued to grow in the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico overnight Tuesday; escalating to a monster Category 4 storm as it barrels towards the Florida panhandle.
The dangerous hurricane is now clocking 145 mph winds and 31-foot waves and may continue to strengthen as it heads towards land.
Weather forecasters are saying Michael will likely be the biggest storm to hit the region in over a century.
#Michael is steadily moving towards the coast, landfall is expected later this morning to early this afternoon. Conditions will deteriorate quickly, so stay put and find your safest location possible! #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/sbYpzaJJ85
— NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) October 10, 2018
“Hurricane Michael is a dangerous, catastrophic life-threatening storm,” said one forecaster. “The panhandle of Florida has never had a Cat 4 landfall in their history, and Michael could go down as the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. in the month of October.”
Read the full story at Fox News.
FLORENCE ARRIVES: Major Hurricane Hits Carolinas, +300k Without Power, Hundreds Stranded
Hurricane Florence slammed the Carolina coast early Friday morning; cutting power to over 300,000 residents and leaving hundreds stranded as the massive storm caused severe flooding and torrential rain.
“Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, early Friday morning, thrashing the already battered coast with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains that officials warned could trigger catastrophic floods further inland,” writes Fox News.
NEW: #Hurricane #Florence has made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina at 7:15 AM EDT (1115 UTC) with estimated maximum winds of 90 mph (150 km/h), and a minimum central pressure estimate of 958 mb (28.29"). https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/vzpe6MjTf9
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 14, 2018
According to initial estimates, the tide in Emerald Isle, NC was a staggering seven feet above average.
Hurricane Florence @ midnight 9.13.18
Pungo River is raging across Belhaven, NC
Stay safe y’all! pic.twitter.com/zYbKCKBLnY— ʜᴏᴏᴘ (@unicornhippieee) September 14, 2018
Read the full story at Fox News.
FLORENCE GETS DEADLY: First Fatalities Reported as Hurricane Florence Slams Carolinas
Local police in North Carolina confirmed the first official deaths caused by Hurricane Florence Friday, confirming two fatalities occurred when a tree slammed into a house in Wilmington, NC.
According to Wilmington Police, the victims were a mother and her infant. The father was taken to a local hospital with injuries.
WPD can confirm the first two fatalities of Hurricane #Florence in Wilmington. A mother and infant were killed when a tree fell on their house. The father was transported to NHRMC with injuries. https://t.co/FC5PAhuxig
— Wilmington Police (@WilmingtonPD) September 14, 2018
The powerful storm is slowly making its way inland from the Carolina coast with local residents warned of torrential downpours, high winds, flooded rivers, and power outages in the days ahead.
Read the full story at Fox News.