Hurricane Michael is gathering strength and picking up steam as it heads towards the coast of Florida’s panhandle Wednesday; potentially becoming a Category 5 storm as it makes landfall later today.
“As powerhouse Michael, a Category 4 hurricane, hurtled closer to the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, the supercharged storm had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph – just seven miles shy of a Category 5,” warned USA Today.
We are with you Florida! https://t.co/qzrVLeFbyFhttps://t.co/HVVhSmBg7S pic.twitter.com/rcB6OCwLeH
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2018
“It’s our first storm (forecast) to be on top of us,” said one longtime resident. “We’ve had a number of them come into the Gulf, and either come to the left or the right of us. But never on top of us.”
“The time to evacuate coastal areas has come and gone,” said Florida Governor Rick Scott. “If you are in an inland county you might have one more chance to evacuate, but only if local officials say it is safe.”
STORM OF THE CENTURY: Hurricane Michael Grows to CAT 4, Heads Towards Florida
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 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.