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Tropical Storm Michael on Path to Hit Florida Panhandle as a Hurricane Hurricane Michael Strengthens and Threatens to Hit Florida Panhandle
(35 minutes later)
Tropical Storm Michael is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Monday and strike Florida later this week. The fast-moving system is also poised to bombard large parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic as a tropical storm, threatening regions still recovering from Hurricane Florence’s deluge last month. ATLANTA — A fast-moving tropical cyclone strengthened into Hurricane Michael on Monday and threatened to strike Florida as soon as Wednesday, imperiling a vast stretch of the state with little notice.
In an advisory on Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center suggested that the storm would make landfall on Wednesday in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane, with winds of 110 miles per hour, or worse. The system’s risks also extend hundreds of miles inland, and it is poised to bombard parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic as a tropical storm, endangering regions still recovering from Hurricane Florence’s deluge last month.
“This storm will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous,” Gov. Rick Scott of Florida said in Southport, Fla., just north of Panama City. In an advisory on Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center suggested the storm would make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour.
“This storm will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous,” Gov. Rick Scott of Florida said at a televised news conference in Southport, Fla., just north of Panama City.
“Michael can still change direction and impact any part of the state,” said Mr. Scott, who warned that some areas could receive up to a foot of rain, and that destructive winds were likely to hit both along the coast, in places like Panama City, and inland, including Tallahassee, the capital. Local officials were considering whether to order evacuations from some communities.“Michael can still change direction and impact any part of the state,” said Mr. Scott, who warned that some areas could receive up to a foot of rain, and that destructive winds were likely to hit both along the coast, in places like Panama City, and inland, including Tallahassee, the capital. Local officials were considering whether to order evacuations from some communities.
[As the storms keep coming, FEMA is spending billions in a “cycle” of damage and repair. Read more here.] [As the storms keep coming, FEMA is spending billions in a “cycle of damage and repair. Read more here.]
Shortly before Mr. Scott spoke in Southport, the hurricane center said the storm was about 120 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, just short of the threshold to be classified as a hurricane. The storm was moving north at 7 miles per hour, leading to watches and warnings in Cuba, Mexico and the United States. Within hours of Mr. Scott’s appearance in Southport, the hurricane center said the storm was about 140 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, just above the threshold to be classified as a hurricane. The storm was moving north at 7 miles per hour, leading to watches and warnings in Cuba, Mexico and the United States.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Pinar del Rio, a province in western Cuba, and a hurricane watch was posted from the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River in Florida.A hurricane warning was in effect for Pinar del Rio, a province in western Cuba, and a hurricane watch was posted from the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River in Florida.
Federal and state officials have increasingly been instructing residents not to judge storms solely by their categorization under the Saffir-Simpson scale, which is based only on wind speed. With Michael, they are particularly concerned about storm surge in a region vulnerable to it, warning of a surge of 7 to 11 feet in some areas. “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 hurricane center said Monday.
But federal and state officials have increasingly been instructing residents not to judge storms solely by their categorization under the Saffir-Simpson scale, which is based only on wind speed. With Hurricane Michael, they are particularly concerned about storm surge in a region especially vulnerable to it, warning of a surge of 8 to 12 feet in some areas.
[How does the system for categorizing hurricanes work? Learn about it here.][How does the system for categorizing hurricanes work? Learn about it here.]
Fueled by the gulf’s warm waters, the storm was also expected to carry formidable winds, and forecasters expressed measured surprise that it had strengthened as quickly as it did. If the storm does make landfall as expected, it would be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the mainland United States so far this year. Although Hurricane Florence once appeared likely to strike with catastrophic winds, it ultimately made its landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.
If the storm does make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane, it would be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the mainland United States so far this year. Although Hurricane Florence once appeared likely to strike with catastrophic winds, it ultimately made its landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.
Storm preparations began over the weekend in Florida, as the weather system rapidly became a tropical depression and then a tropical storm. And as the hours passed, the forecast worsened for a system that just days ago was uncertain even to form into this Atlantic hurricane season’s 13th named storm.Storm preparations began over the weekend in Florida, as the weather system rapidly became a tropical depression and then a tropical storm. And as the hours passed, the forecast worsened for a system that just days ago was uncertain even to form into this Atlantic hurricane season’s 13th named storm.