Hurricane Michael intensifies, takes aim at Florida Panhandle

Oct. 09--TALLAHASSEE -- Residents of Florida's Panhandle and the Big Bend braced for Hurricane Michael on Monday as the rapidly intensifying storm barreled toward them, with forecasters predicting it would become a major storm by landfall.

The National Hurricane Center expects Michael to move inland in the Panhandle or Big Bend on Wednesday, and then move northeast Wednesday night and Thursday across the Southeast U.S., possibly as strong as a Category 3 with winds topping 111 mph.

As of 11 p.m. Monday, the storm had 90 mph winds and was about 450 miles from the city of Apalachicola in the Panhandle.

"Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Michael is forecast to become a major hurricane by Tuesday or Tuesday night," the National Hurricane Center warned.

Michael's large size, strong winds and heavy rains could produce hazardous flooding along a stretch of Florida's Gulf coast, said Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham. "This is a part of the Gulf of Mexico that is incredibly vulnerable to storm surge," Graham said.

Gov. Rick Scott urged residents to be careful.

"You've got to take care of yourself," said Scott after a briefing at the Bay County Emergency Operations Center in Southport.

Scott said emergency officials are "doing everything they can to get everybody ready." But Scott said the storm is different from hurricanes that have hit Florida the past couple of years.

"It's fast, this is coming very fast," Scott said. "It could speed up. It could slow down. We don't know. And we don't know exactly where it's going to hit yet."

Scott has declared a state of emergency for 35 counties and activated 500 members of the Florida National Guard.

In Tallahassee, residents flocked to stores and lined gas stations to stock up on needed supplies ahead of Hurricane Michael's arrival.

The mood among residents was one of urgent preparation but not panic. The experience of Hurricane Hermine in 2016 after 10 years without a hurricane helped residents update their storm preparation checklists.

"Been here all my life," said Tallahassee resident Adrian Coates as he waited in line to get gas. "They're coming more frequently now."

Coates said he planned to ride out the storm with his two dogs and had already stocked up on needed supplies.

Henry Hunter, 67, another Tallahassee resident, said he planned to see how the storm develops before making a decision on whether to evacuate.

"This one seems weird. We didn't really pay attention to it until today," Hunter said. "It's heading directly north; most of them slant off to the west. This one reminds me of the course that Katrina took. It wasn't a big storm but it got stronger as it came closer to land."

Florida State University announced it had canceled classes at its Tallahassee and Panama City campuses through Friday.

"Students are encouraged to discuss possible travel plans with family and friends. DO NOT travel into the path of the storm," FSU said.

Two years ago, Hermine knocked out power for days in Tallahassee and caused widespread flooding as it came up through the Gulf Coast.

Michael already has disrupted the hectic campaign season, as Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, suspended campaign events to prepare the city for the hurricane.

Scott, who is running for the U.S. Senate again incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson, was in contact with local officials Sunday and Monday.

Scott and Gillum, who traded barbs over how Hurricane Hermine was handled, spoke with each other Sunday and say they're on the same page in preparing for Michael.

At a news conference, Gillum warned Michael would "likely [be] worse than Hermine."

"We'll be able to get folks back up, but know that this is not a light storm," he said.

Later in the day, Gillum went to a park in midtown Tallahassee to help residents fill sandbags.

Staff writer David Harris, News Service of Florida and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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