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| Hurricane Michael: first death reported in Florida as thousands lose power – live | Hurricane Michael: first death reported in Florida as thousands lose power – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jamiles Lartey is in Marianna, Florida, which was hit by the hurricane earlier today. He has this dispatch from one of the shelters where people are riding out the storm. | |
| The primary shelter for Jackson County is at the Marianna high school where some 550 had filed in the lead-up to the storm. | |
| Many, like Teangelia Sims came as early as 5am Tuesday morning. | |
| “We’ve never had a category 4 and I’ve seen what [weaker storms] have done in previous years so I wasn’t going to take that risk,” Sims said. | |
| She came here with her two children but was preparing to go to work just after the intense winds of the eye wall passed over.“We have to be there, we can’t not show up. Don’t really have a choice,” said Sims, who is a sergeant at the Jackson county prison in Malone, Florida. | |
| Administrators told her to prepare to be at the prison for up to 24 hours. | |
| The shelter is bustling. There’s a faint smell of wet dog everywhere, one aisle has been cordoned off for evacuees’ pets. | |
| As for the humans, some people lounge in the hallways, fidget with smartphones and chat eating hamburgers. There are blankets and air mattresses scattered all around the school hallways, in addition to the formal sleeping quarters in the gymnasium. | |
| In the cafeteria one impromptu group plays a card game based on DC comic characters. The lights flicker on and off. | |
| Pauline Thompson said she initially planned on staying home “but it started getting to category four, and the said it might strengthen I was like ok let’s go.” | |
| She also wanted to make sure her mother and her niece, who live in a mobile home, got to the shelter as well. | |
| As we chat, shelter personnel announce over the PA that it is no longer safe for residents to be outside. I ask if they are concerned about their homes or possessions and how they will fair. “A little bit,” said Thompson’s mother Eva Holland. “All that material stuff I can get back, though I just wanted to get us here.” | |
| Mike Childress didn’t want to come to the shelter and planned to ride it out at home but his childhood friend Matt Davis ultimately convinced him to head over Tuesday morning. “I didn’t come prepared, I didn’t bring nothing to sleep with besides one pillow,” Childress said. | |
| They both live in trailer homes surrounded by tall, skinny Florida pine trees- a very dangerous place to be with the type of winds Michael dished out. | |
| “It’s hard being in here but at least I know we’re safe and secure behind some solid walls. At least I don’t feel like i’m in a cardboard box anymore,” Childress said. | |
| Davis arrived Monday morning to set up his spot, better prepared than his friend, he brought an air mattress, blankets, pillows, and snacks “to hold me over till at least Friday.” | |
| His diligence was mostly due to a strong dislike of sever weather. “I hate weather so my stomach has been in knots for the past three days,” Davis said. | |
| The two were hopeful they could leave Thursday to survey any damage and maybe begin to get back to normal. | |
| Cornelius Smith said she was planning on going back home as soon as soon as the worst had passed the area. | |
| “To me, weather people hype the weather and it just makes me not even want to listen to it,” said Smith who lives just about a mile away from the shelter. | |
| She and her husband William live in a sturdy brick house with a generator and only came to the shelter because they were concerned about about an oak tree in their yard. As long as it weathered the storm they planned on riding out the rest of the aftermath at home. | |
| “I know I’m going to be going back home today!” she said emphatically. | |
| The Weather Channel is reporting that Hurricane Michael is the third most intense hurricane to make landfall on the continental US and second most intense to make landfall in Florida. | |
| (Confusingly, the lower the number with pressure measurements, the more intense the hurricane as there is a general correlation between lower pressure and higher winds). | |
| Pretty crazy where #Michael ranks when it comes to landfalling hurricanes in FL & the US. pic.twitter.com/xtZZa0RTe9 | |
| Whew! NBC News Reporter Kerry Sanders was nearly blown away by the winds of Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach, Florida, when the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore saved him. https://t.co/wQ4PZaVlX5 pic.twitter.com/PoDc9MmIxi | Whew! NBC News Reporter Kerry Sanders was nearly blown away by the winds of Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach, Florida, when the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore saved him. https://t.co/wQ4PZaVlX5 pic.twitter.com/PoDc9MmIxi |
| The mayor of Tallahassee has issued an update for the city: | The mayor of Tallahassee has issued an update for the city: |
| There have been no reports of significant injury in Tallahassee | There have been no reports of significant injury in Tallahassee |
| Roads remain unsafe and people are warned to remain sheltered inside. Police, fire and electric crews are out assessing damages | Roads remain unsafe and people are warned to remain sheltered inside. Police, fire and electric crews are out assessing damages |
| They have received more than 200 reports of roads blocked by trees | They have received more than 200 reports of roads blocked by trees |
| More than a dozen poles are down on Thomasville road north of I-10 | More than a dozen poles are down on Thomasville road north of I-10 |
| 91,000 people are without power | 91,000 people are without power |
| Restoration work will begin once winds die down | Restoration work will begin once winds die down |
| Electricity companies are already on the ground in Florida, working to restore power to homes and businesses. At last count, more than 311,000 properties were without power. | Electricity companies are already on the ground in Florida, working to restore power to homes and businesses. At last count, more than 311,000 properties were without power. |
| Gulf Power said that 3,000 utility workers from all over the country had travelled to northwest Florida and were heading out to repair power lines and utility poles as soon as the conditions were safe. | Gulf Power said that 3,000 utility workers from all over the country had travelled to northwest Florida and were heading out to repair power lines and utility poles as soon as the conditions were safe. |
| More than 3,000 workers from utilities all over the country are here in Northwest Florida. Workers from Volt were out restoring power as soon as weather conditions allowed from #HurricaneMichael. Hurricane Michael hit Northwest Florida today with wind speeds near 150 mph. pic.twitter.com/xmpx7HjgZS | More than 3,000 workers from utilities all over the country are here in Northwest Florida. Workers from Volt were out restoring power as soon as weather conditions allowed from #HurricaneMichael. Hurricane Michael hit Northwest Florida today with wind speeds near 150 mph. pic.twitter.com/xmpx7HjgZS |
| Shame Hubbard, a researcher at the space science and engineering center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has produced this map that models the impact of the damage from Hurricane Michael. | Shame Hubbard, a researcher at the space science and engineering center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has produced this map that models the impact of the damage from Hurricane Michael. |
| This map reflects the areas that will receive the highest impacts from Hurricane Michael. Based upon damage and loss modeling, the Counties in magenta will have the greatest impacts from wind and surge. Building related losses are projected around 10 billion dollars. #Michael pic.twitter.com/kGdWmEWjMk | This map reflects the areas that will receive the highest impacts from Hurricane Michael. Based upon damage and loss modeling, the Counties in magenta will have the greatest impacts from wind and surge. Building related losses are projected around 10 billion dollars. #Michael pic.twitter.com/kGdWmEWjMk |
| Hurricane Michael has been downgraded to a category 1 storm. As of 8pm, the hurricane had maximum sustained wind speeds of 90 mph, which places it into category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, which is how the National Hurricane Center determines hurricane categories. | Hurricane Michael has been downgraded to a category 1 storm. As of 8pm, the hurricane had maximum sustained wind speeds of 90 mph, which places it into category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, which is how the National Hurricane Center determines hurricane categories. |
| How do you determine what category a hurricane is? Through the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.https://t.co/PVM3kbCtPB pic.twitter.com/I9nazz6qq2 | How do you determine what category a hurricane is? Through the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.https://t.co/PVM3kbCtPB pic.twitter.com/I9nazz6qq2 |
| Is climate change making hurricanes worse? The short answer is yes. | Is climate change making hurricanes worse? The short answer is yes. |
| The Guardian’s Daniel Levitt and Niko Kommenda have built this interactive to show the worrying long-term picture. They write: | The Guardian’s Daniel Levitt and Niko Kommenda have built this interactive to show the worrying long-term picture. They write: |
| Two common measures used to judge whether hurricanes are becoming worse are the number of storms per year and the strength of each storm. Based on the total number of named storms, there has been an increase since the start of the 20th century. | Two common measures used to judge whether hurricanes are becoming worse are the number of storms per year and the strength of each storm. Based on the total number of named storms, there has been an increase since the start of the 20th century. |
| Category 5 hurricanes are the most severe but also the most rare – there have been just three in the past decade. | Category 5 hurricanes are the most severe but also the most rare – there have been just three in the past decade. |
| But these hurricanes aren’t the only category of storm that cause significant damage. Hurricane Harvey showed us last year that a category 4 storm can last for several days and dump historic volumes of rain to almost sink an entire city. | But these hurricanes aren’t the only category of storm that cause significant damage. Hurricane Harvey showed us last year that a category 4 storm can last for several days and dump historic volumes of rain to almost sink an entire city. |
| To more accurately assess how bad a storm is, meteorologists use the Accumulated Cyclone Energy Index – or ACE – to account for the strength, frequency and duration of storms per year. The Atlantic Ocean is in the midst of its worst stretch on record. | To more accurately assess how bad a storm is, meteorologists use the Accumulated Cyclone Energy Index – or ACE – to account for the strength, frequency and duration of storms per year. The Atlantic Ocean is in the midst of its worst stretch on record. |
| View the full interactive here. | View the full interactive here. |
| Authorities have warned motorists to stay off the roads even after the storm has passed, warning that in one stretch of Thomasville Road in Tallahassee alone, there are more than a dozen downed utility poles. | Authorities have warned motorists to stay off the roads even after the storm has passed, warning that in one stretch of Thomasville Road in Tallahassee alone, there are more than a dozen downed utility poles. |
| This mangled utility pole is just one of more than a dozen lying along Thomasville Road north of I-10 rn. 😯 https://t.co/RPgaJZfMjg | This mangled utility pole is just one of more than a dozen lying along Thomasville Road north of I-10 rn. 😯 https://t.co/RPgaJZfMjg |
| Hurricane Michael, the strongest storm to ever hit the Florida Panhandle, was upgraded to a category 4 hurricane in the early hours of Wednesday morning as it approached the coast of Florida. | Hurricane Michael, the strongest storm to ever hit the Florida Panhandle, was upgraded to a category 4 hurricane in the early hours of Wednesday morning as it approached the coast of Florida. |
| It made landfall on Wednesday at about lunchtime, near Mexico Beach, Florida with winds of 155 mph. | It made landfall on Wednesday at about lunchtime, near Mexico Beach, Florida with winds of 155 mph. |
| One death has been reported, of a Florida man killed by a falling tree in Gadsden County. | One death has been reported, of a Florida man killed by a falling tree in Gadsden County. |
| It is the strongest storm to hit the continental US is more than 25 years, since Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida in 1992. | It is the strongest storm to hit the continental US is more than 25 years, since Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida in 1992. |
| Trump has described the storm as a “monster” and acknowledged the poverty in the area hampered evacuation efforts, with thousands of residents staying in their homes. | Trump has described the storm as a “monster” and acknowledged the poverty in the area hampered evacuation efforts, with thousands of residents staying in their homes. |
| The sheriff of Franklin County, Franklin confirmed that a woman had been hit in the head by a falling tree limb. There are no ambulance services available and her condition is not clear. | The sheriff of Franklin County, Franklin confirmed that a woman had been hit in the head by a falling tree limb. There are no ambulance services available and her condition is not clear. |
| More than 311,000 homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are without power due to the hurricane. | More than 311,000 homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are without power due to the hurricane. |
| Hurricane Michael was downgraded to a category 2 storm on Wednesday night with maximum wind speeds of 10 mph. | Hurricane Michael was downgraded to a category 2 storm on Wednesday night with maximum wind speeds of 10 mph. |
| Authorities say a Florida Panhandle man was killed by a falling tree as Hurricane Michael tore through the state. | Authorities say a Florida Panhandle man was killed by a falling tree as Hurricane Michael tore through the state. |
| Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Anglie Hightower says they received a call around 6 pm Wednesday, saying a tree had crashed through the roof of the man’s Greenboro home and trapped him. | Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Anglie Hightower says they received a call around 6 pm Wednesday, saying a tree had crashed through the roof of the man’s Greenboro home and trapped him. |
| Emergency crews were heading to the home, but downed power lines and blocked roads were making the trip difficult. | Emergency crews were heading to the home, but downed power lines and blocked roads were making the trip difficult. |
| Officials did not confirm the man’s name. | Officials did not confirm the man’s name. |
| Hurricane Michael has been downgraded to a category 2 storm, with 100 mph maximum winds. When it made landfall roughly six hours ago it was a category four storm with sustained winds of 155 mph. | Hurricane Michael has been downgraded to a category 2 storm, with 100 mph maximum winds. When it made landfall roughly six hours ago it was a category four storm with sustained winds of 155 mph. |
| Wind speeds are: 67mph in Albany, Georgia, 61mph at Tallahassee international airport and 60mph in Dothan, Alabama. | Wind speeds are: 67mph in Albany, Georgia, 61mph at Tallahassee international airport and 60mph in Dothan, Alabama. |
| Hi, this is Kate Lyons taking over from my colleague Patrick Greenfield. It’s now roughly 7:30pm in Tallahassee and I’ll be bringing you updates as the night continues. | Hi, this is Kate Lyons taking over from my colleague Patrick Greenfield. It’s now roughly 7:30pm in Tallahassee and I’ll be bringing you updates as the night continues. |
| Here is the full National Hurricane Center update. | Here is the full National Hurricane Center update. |
| Here is the 7 PM EDT position update for #Michael - Eye of #Michael moving through southwestern Georgia https://t.co/huazqXcQgJ pic.twitter.com/iJzibRVzQF | Here is the 7 PM EDT position update for #Michael - Eye of #Michael moving through southwestern Georgia https://t.co/huazqXcQgJ pic.twitter.com/iJzibRVzQF |
| Over 311,000 homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are without power because of the hurricane, according to local power companies. Michael is now a category 3 hurricane but raged through the Florida Panhandle as a Category 4. Outages could last for several days, authorities have been eager to show they are prepared for the cleanup. | Over 311,000 homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are without power because of the hurricane, according to local power companies. Michael is now a category 3 hurricane but raged through the Florida Panhandle as a Category 4. Outages could last for several days, authorities have been eager to show they are prepared for the cleanup. |
| Utility companies have nearly 19,000 personnel staged to begin power restoration. Getting power back on is absolutely critical to our recovery and response efforts- this is a top priority. | Utility companies have nearly 19,000 personnel staged to begin power restoration. Getting power back on is absolutely critical to our recovery and response efforts- this is a top priority. |
| We are assisting linemen and tree surgeons stage from all over the Southeast. As soon as it is safe to do so, they will be headed to the panhandle. Help will be on the way. #HurricaneMichael #Michael #Teamwork pic.twitter.com/dnpy21bEeG | We are assisting linemen and tree surgeons stage from all over the Southeast. As soon as it is safe to do so, they will be headed to the panhandle. Help will be on the way. #HurricaneMichael #Michael #Teamwork pic.twitter.com/dnpy21bEeG |
| Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center says the storm is now about 35 miles west-southwest of Albany Georgia, with maximum sustained winds of 100mph. | Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center says the storm is now about 35 miles west-southwest of Albany Georgia, with maximum sustained winds of 100mph. |
| The National Hurricane Center says the eye of Michael is now moving over Seminole county in southwestern Georgia. The storm surge along the coast of the Florida Panhandle is also a big concern, with reports of floods nearly 5ft deep. | The National Hurricane Center says the eye of Michael is now moving over Seminole county in southwestern Georgia. The storm surge along the coast of the Florida Panhandle is also a big concern, with reports of floods nearly 5ft deep. |
| Heavy rainfall from #Michael could produce life-threatening flashflooding from the Florida Panhandle & Big Bend regions intoportions of southeast Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and southeastVirginia. See the latest @NWSWPC forecasts for more details: https://t.co/3qxGBA9w6t pic.twitter.com/lsGXGrMq73 | Heavy rainfall from #Michael could produce life-threatening flashflooding from the Florida Panhandle & Big Bend regions intoportions of southeast Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and southeastVirginia. See the latest @NWSWPC forecasts for more details: https://t.co/3qxGBA9w6t pic.twitter.com/lsGXGrMq73 |
| Here’s a photo of the hurricane from space. | Here’s a photo of the hurricane from space. |
| The eye of #HurricaneMichael before the storm made landfall on the Florida panhandle. This image was taken by @AstroSerena around noon on Oct. 10, 2018 as the @Space_Station orbited over the Gulf of Mexico. pic.twitter.com/Bj8Te1voET | The eye of #HurricaneMichael before the storm made landfall on the Florida panhandle. This image was taken by @AstroSerena around noon on Oct. 10, 2018 as the @Space_Station orbited over the Gulf of Mexico. pic.twitter.com/Bj8Te1voET |
| Our reporter Jamiles Lartey is hunkered down off I-10 in Marianna Florida, where Michael’s eye passed directly over. He sends this in via SMS, as the storm has all but knocked out mobile internet access. | Our reporter Jamiles Lartey is hunkered down off I-10 in Marianna Florida, where Michael’s eye passed directly over. He sends this in via SMS, as the storm has all but knocked out mobile internet access. |
| It was around 3:00 PM in Marianna when the most brutal part of Michael passed over this Florida town. The wind whipped and howled, bowing windows and stripping roofing off the buildings in a small corridor of hotels off RT 71. Flash floods waters pooled as trees swayed and splintered, somehow mostly managing to stay upright as they shed branches and leaves. Then, in a matter of minutes, an eerie calm. Folks walked into the streets to survey damage as the sky lightened. “How’s the car?” one man screamed across a hotel parking lot. “Fine I guess” his wife yells back. Across the street, the clearing visibility reveals that a high sitting sign for Microtel, at least 40ft up, didn’t survive the winds. Its panels are gone and its frame sits crooked. | It was around 3:00 PM in Marianna when the most brutal part of Michael passed over this Florida town. The wind whipped and howled, bowing windows and stripping roofing off the buildings in a small corridor of hotels off RT 71. Flash floods waters pooled as trees swayed and splintered, somehow mostly managing to stay upright as they shed branches and leaves. Then, in a matter of minutes, an eerie calm. Folks walked into the streets to survey damage as the sky lightened. “How’s the car?” one man screamed across a hotel parking lot. “Fine I guess” his wife yells back. Across the street, the clearing visibility reveals that a high sitting sign for Microtel, at least 40ft up, didn’t survive the winds. Its panels are gone and its frame sits crooked. |
| Some walk dogs who have been stuck inside for hours as the storm slowly wound up over the course of the day. | Some walk dogs who have been stuck inside for hours as the storm slowly wound up over the course of the day. |
| Then the light sprinkle quickened, the sky got dark again and the still gave way to more gusts as the other side of the eyewall began to pass over. “Round two” said Jason Evans, a Marianna resident as he sighed and walked back inside. As the winds picked back up, glass could be heard shattering every few minutes, though it was unclear the source. Several windows did break at hotels along the way as undermanned staff tried to quickly board them before the eye wall’s encore. | Then the light sprinkle quickened, the sky got dark again and the still gave way to more gusts as the other side of the eyewall began to pass over. “Round two” said Jason Evans, a Marianna resident as he sighed and walked back inside. As the winds picked back up, glass could be heard shattering every few minutes, though it was unclear the source. Several windows did break at hotels along the way as undermanned staff tried to quickly board them before the eye wall’s encore. |