Hurricane Michael makes landfall on Florida Panhandle as dangerous Category 4 storm

Oct. 10--Hurricane Michael barreled into the Florida coast Wednesday afternoon, bringing with it life-threatening storm surges, heavy rainfall and intense winds that could knock out power in several areas across the state for weeks.

The brutal storm made landfall near Mexico Beach, Fla. around 1:30 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, making it a "potentially catastrophic" Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"I just say, 'God bless everyone,' cause it's going to be a very rough one," President Trump said of the storm before a signing ceremony at the White House.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered residents who have yet to evacuate to shelter in place, warning that Hurricane Michael will likely be the worst storm to hit the region in more than a century.

"Now the storm is here. It is not safe to travel across the panhandle," Scott warned during a news briefing. "If you are in a coastal area, do not leave your house. The time to evacuate in coastal areas has come and gone."

National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned of structural damages including downed power lines and trees as well as winds strong enough to rip the roofs off houses. He added that the effects of the storm will extend far beyond the coast and into some parts of Central Georgia.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward from the storm's center for up to 45 miles and tropical storm-force winds for up to 75 miles. The hurricane is expected to continue to intensify as it moves forward on its track inland, NHC said in its latest update.

Flash flooding is among one of the biggest threats, with the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend regions as well as southeast Alabama and portions of Southwest and Central Georgia bracing themselves for up to 8 inches of rainfall.

A storm surge warning was in effect Wednesday from the Okaloosa/Walton county lines to the Anclote River and from the Anclote River to Anna Maria Island -- which includes Tampa Bay. Several areas could see surges peaking at 14 feet, which is a complete "inundation" of water, Graham noted.

"The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving in from the shoreline," according to the National Hurricane Center.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio voiced concern for the potentially deadly conditions as the storm continued to roar toward Florida.

"There is going to be a killer storm surge in this event," he told CNN. "Nine, ten, eleven feet. No one is going to survive that. Low-lying areas, the Gulf of Mexico is kind of like a basin of water all being pushed up on people and if you're still there when that comes in, you're going to die."

Another 3.8 million people were under hurricane warnings across Florida's Panhandle and Big Bend regions Wednesday morning.

With Michael making landfall as a Category 4 storm, it has become the strongest hurricane to target the Florida Panhandle since 1851, Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a tropical scientist with at Colorado state University, told Weather.com. It's also the strongest storm to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Trump has been briefed on the situation and he also noted to Floridians that it "is imperative that you heed the directions of your state and local officials."

He added: "Good news is the folks in the Pan Handle can take anything. FEMA and First Responders are ready -- be prepared!"

Scott Wednesday afternoon said officials "are continuing to prepare rapid response efforts. We have trucks loaded with tons of food, water and other critical supplies ready to move in -- including 1.5 million Meals Ready-to-Eat and 1 million gallons of water."

"Federal resources are on the ground at every level and so we are absolutely ready," the President added.

The Walton County Sheriff's Department meanwhile encouraged such residents who stayed behind to get to a shelter and slammed those still on the beaches despite the "life-threatening" surges.

"We have people who cannot exercise good sense. While it might be their constitutional right to be an idiot, it's not their right endanger everyone else. their failure to be accountable becomes our problem!" Sheriff Michael J. Adkinson Jr. said. "Get off roads & beaches!"

At least 300,000 people have been encouraged to evacuate as the "life-threatening" storm continues to roar towards Florida -- and those who have chosen to stay behind must do all they can to keep themselves safe.

"You've made your decision," Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum said Wednesday morning. "It's time to hunker down and ride out this storm."

* Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

* Hurricane Michael

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