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Hurricane Michael on Path to Hit Florida as Category 3 Storm Hurricane Michael May Hit Florida as Category 3 Storm
(about 1 hour later)
ATLANTA — Hurricane Michael strengthened and sharpened its track toward the Florida Panhandle on Monday, imperiling a vast stretch of the state that must cope with the threat of a suddenly menacing storm.ATLANTA — Hurricane Michael strengthened and sharpened its track toward the Florida Panhandle on Monday, imperiling a vast stretch of the state that must cope with the threat of a suddenly menacing storm.
The risks posed by the hurricane extended hundreds of miles inland, and it was 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.The risks posed by the hurricane extended hundreds of miles inland, and it was 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.
The National Hurricane Center said it expected Michael to make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour. If the forecast holds, Michael would be the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the mainland United States so far this year. The National Hurricane Center said Michael could make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour. If the forecast holds, Michael would be the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the mainland United States so far this year.
Click on the map below to see the storm’s projected path:Click on the map below to see the storm’s projected path:
“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.“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 ahead of the storm, which is expected to bring tropical storm-force winds to the state beginning Tuesday. “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 ordered evacuations from some communities ahead of the storm, which is expected to bring tropical storm-force winds to the state beginning as soon as Tuesday.
Unlike Hurricane Florence, which slowly approached the Carolinas from the Atlantic Ocean and then meandered for days, Hurricane Michael offered little time for preparation. When Mr. Scott spoke, just after 8 a.m. on Monday, the system was a tropical storm, though one forecast to strengthen. Less than three hours later, the hurricane center upgraded it to a Category 1 hurricane and anticipated a Category 3 strike on Wednesday.Unlike Hurricane Florence, which slowly approached the Carolinas from the Atlantic Ocean and then meandered for days, Hurricane Michael offered little time for preparation. When Mr. Scott spoke, just after 8 a.m. on Monday, the system was a tropical storm, though one forecast to strengthen. Less than three hours later, the hurricane center upgraded it to a Category 1 hurricane and anticipated a Category 3 strike on Wednesday.
[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.]
On Monday afternoon, the hurricane center said the storm was about 145 miles 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. On Monday afternoon, the hurricane center said the storm was about 520 miles south of Apalachicola, Fla., with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, just above the threshold to be classified as a hurricane. The storm was moving north at nine 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 from the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River in Florida, as well as in Pinar del Rio, a province in western Cuba.
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. And with Hurricane Michael, they said they were particularly concerned about storm surge in a region especially vulnerable to it, warning of a surge of 8 to 12 feet in some areas. 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. And with Hurricane Michael, they said they were 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.]
Preparations for the storm, the 13th named tropical cyclone of an Atlantic hurricane season that will last until Nov. 30, began in Florida over the weekend and intensified on Monday. President Trump, addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Orlando on Monday afternoon, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “getting prepared” for a storm that “looks like a big one.”Preparations for the storm, the 13th named tropical cyclone of an Atlantic hurricane season that will last until Nov. 30, began in Florida over the weekend and intensified on Monday. President Trump, addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Orlando on Monday afternoon, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “getting prepared” for a storm that “looks like a big one.”
“Never ends, but we’re all prepared and hopefully it won’t be as bad as it’s looking,” Mr. Trump said. “It looked a couple of days ago like it was not going to be much, and now it’s looking like it could be a very big one, so we’re prepared, and good luck.”“Never ends, but we’re all prepared and hopefully it won’t be as bad as it’s looking,” Mr. Trump said. “It looked a couple of days ago like it was not going to be much, and now it’s looking like it could be a very big one, so we’re prepared, and good luck.”
On Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama declared a statewide emergency and Mr. Scott expanded his own emergency declaration to cover 35 counties. Some 500 members of the Florida National Guard were activated, and thousands more were on standby.On Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama declared a statewide emergency and Mr. Scott expanded his own emergency declaration to cover 35 counties. Some 500 members of the Florida National Guard were activated, and thousands more were on standby.
In Tallahassee, where officials are still stung by criticisms surrounding their handling of Hurricane Hermine in 2016, the authorities distributed sandbags and opened shelters.In Tallahassee, where officials are still stung by criticisms surrounding their handling of Hurricane Hermine in 2016, the authorities distributed sandbags and opened shelters.
And despite planning for electrical failures in a city with a vast tree canopy, they cautioned that this week’s storm could prove more problematic than the one two years ago, which caused widespread and protracted power failures in the Florida capital.And despite planning for electrical failures in a city with a vast tree canopy, they cautioned that this week’s storm could prove more problematic than the one two years ago, which caused widespread and protracted power failures in the Florida capital.
“Unfortunately our community has become all too familiar with this drill, but in some cases I think it has made us all the more ready for the events that we are anticipating,” said Mayor Andrew Gillum of Tallahassee, who is also the Democratic nominee to succeed Mr. Scott as governor.“Unfortunately our community has become all too familiar with this drill, but in some cases I think it has made us all the more ready for the events that we are anticipating,” said Mayor Andrew Gillum of Tallahassee, who is also the Democratic nominee to succeed Mr. Scott as governor.
Florida State University said it would close Tuesday and did not expect to resume normal operations until Monday. (The university’s football team, which plays in a stadium that seats close to 80,000 people, does not have another home game until Oct. 20.)Florida State University said it would close Tuesday and did not expect to resume normal operations until Monday. (The university’s football team, which plays in a stadium that seats close to 80,000 people, does not have another home game until Oct. 20.)
Closer to the coast, the local authorities said they were preparing to close bridges and urged visitors to leave.Closer to the coast, the local authorities said they were preparing to close bridges and urged visitors to leave.
“They need to be making plans to go back home,” said Mark Bowen, the chief of emergency services in Bay County, Fla., which includes Panama City, Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base. “They need to stay safe so that they can come back here and visit us again.”“They need to be making plans to go back home,” said Mark Bowen, the chief of emergency services in Bay County, Fla., which includes Panama City, Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base. “They need to stay safe so that they can come back here and visit us again.”
But there were also limits to the preparations. In Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, the authorities said there would be no shelters for the public. All of the county’s shelters, the sheriff’s office explained, were rated for Category 2 storms.
“Please evacuate to Leon County,” the sheriff’s office said.