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| Hurricane Michael: at least two dead as record storm hits Carolinas – live updates | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Mexico Beach is “gone” after taking a direct hit from Hurricane Michael, CNN’s Brooke Baldwin said as she surveyed the damage from a helicopter. | |
| Aerial footage showed whole swaths of homes complete demolished. | |
| “It’s gone. It’s gone,” Baldwin said. “It’s obliterated and it’s awful. It’s awful to look at.” | |
| “Home after home - what was a home - just flattened,” the correspondent added. | |
| CNN's @BrookeBCNN is flying over Mexico Beach, Florida right now"It’s gone… It’s gone. It’s obliterated … I’ve never seen anything like this."Breathtaking devastation#HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/fVDUenijdG | |
| Michael made landfall close to Mexico Beach with winds driving at 155 mph, a category 4 hurricane just shy of a category 5. | |
| Mexico Beach is home to about 1,200 people, and its mayor reported more than 200 had opted to stay and ride out the storm. | |
| The town measures about two miles by three miles and the wholesale devastation stretched as far as the eye could see, Baldwin reported. | |
| More than 830,000 homes across the affected area were without power Thursday morning, Reuters reported. | More than 830,000 homes across the affected area were without power Thursday morning, Reuters reported. |
| At its height, the storm had knocked out power at 850,000 homes. Crews in Florida and Alabama had begun restoring some power after the worst of the storm blew through. | At its height, the storm had knocked out power at 850,000 homes. Crews in Florida and Alabama had begun restoring some power after the worst of the storm blew through. |
| The Florida Highway Patrol has closed 80 miles of Interstate 10, the main highway running through the Florida panhandle from east to west, to clear storm debris. | The Florida Highway Patrol has closed 80 miles of Interstate 10, the main highway running through the Florida panhandle from east to west, to clear storm debris. |
| Spokesman Eddie Elmore told the Associated Press the road was closed “due to extremely hazardous conditions.” | Spokesman Eddie Elmore told the Associated Press the road was closed “due to extremely hazardous conditions.” |
| The road is closed west of Tallahassee, and it’s not clear when it will reopen. | The road is closed west of Tallahassee, and it’s not clear when it will reopen. |
| Gov. Rick Scott urged Floridians Thursday morning to stay off the roads and keep them clear for emergency responders and utility crews. | Gov. Rick Scott urged Floridians Thursday morning to stay off the roads and keep them clear for emergency responders and utility crews. |
| I’m urging residents of impacted areas to continue to stay off the roads and listen to your local authorities so that our first responders and utility crews can do their jobs. We’re working diligently to get to everyone as quickly as we can. | I’m urging residents of impacted areas to continue to stay off the roads and listen to your local authorities so that our first responders and utility crews can do their jobs. We’re working diligently to get to everyone as quickly as we can. |
| This morning, crews are already out working to restore power and clear debris. Please stay off the roads this morning to let these crews work. Many roads are closed for your safety. Remember do not touch downed power lines or drive into dangerous conditions. | This morning, crews are already out working to restore power and clear debris. Please stay off the roads this morning to let these crews work. Many roads are closed for your safety. Remember do not touch downed power lines or drive into dangerous conditions. |
| The tiny town of Mexico Beach, Florida took the brunt of Hurricane Michael, which made landfall nearby with winds at 155mph. | The tiny town of Mexico Beach, Florida took the brunt of Hurricane Michael, which made landfall nearby with winds at 155mph. |
| Entire homes were destroyed by driving winds, while others were completely submerged by water. | Entire homes were destroyed by driving winds, while others were completely submerged by water. |
| A reporter and photographer from the Tampa Bay Times reached the town of 1,200 early Thursday. They reported that fires were burning uncontrolled, with no one to put them out. Entire homes were gone, with only stairs left leading to houses that no longer exist. | A reporter and photographer from the Tampa Bay Times reached the town of 1,200 early Thursday. They reported that fires were burning uncontrolled, with no one to put them out. Entire homes were gone, with only stairs left leading to houses that no longer exist. |
| The town was nearly impassable, with the main highway covered with downed trees and debris. Refrigerators, toilets and staircases from destroyed home where scattered wherever they were dropped by the wind. | The town was nearly impassable, with the main highway covered with downed trees and debris. Refrigerators, toilets and staircases from destroyed home where scattered wherever they were dropped by the wind. |
| Rex Putnal, a Mexico Beach City Council member, told CNN communications are down and city employees can’t even get into town to assess the damage. | Rex Putnal, a Mexico Beach City Council member, told CNN communications are down and city employees can’t even get into town to assess the damage. |
| “I don’t have any sense of any casualties,” he said. | “I don’t have any sense of any casualties,” he said. |
| Putnal said he has not returned to Mexico Beach, and advised residents not to until it is safe. His own home was built in the 1950s. “I’m not sure if it’s still there,” he told CNN. | Putnal said he has not returned to Mexico Beach, and advised residents not to until it is safe. His own home was built in the 1950s. “I’m not sure if it’s still there,” he told CNN. |
| He added of Mexico Beach, “It is forever changed, probably.” | He added of Mexico Beach, “It is forever changed, probably.” |
| The Guardian’s Jamiles Lartey is in Marianna, Florida and has lost communications so far this morning. But he sent SMS messages late last night about what it was like as the eye and the eyewalls of the storm went by. At 11pm ET Wednesday, he wrote: | The Guardian’s Jamiles Lartey is in Marianna, Florida and has lost communications so far this morning. But he sent SMS messages late last night about what it was like as the eye and the eyewalls of the storm went by. At 11pm ET Wednesday, he wrote: |
| “It passed right over me. We’re getting the rain bands coming through now. I can’t watch TV at all, no power at the hotel I’m in, but that doesn’t surprise me. But I’ve never experienced anything like this before.” | “It passed right over me. We’re getting the rain bands coming through now. I can’t watch TV at all, no power at the hotel I’m in, but that doesn’t surprise me. But I’ve never experienced anything like this before.” |
| Amid reports that people near the coast had barricaded themselves inside to stop the wind blowing down doors and walls, NBC’s Lester Holt and his crew were seen putting a mattress over the window of their hotel room. In a room above, which he said belonged to one of his producers, the window blew in, clearly with enough force to scatter shards of glass right across the room. There was no one in the room at the time. | Amid reports that people near the coast had barricaded themselves inside to stop the wind blowing down doors and walls, NBC’s Lester Holt and his crew were seen putting a mattress over the window of their hotel room. In a room above, which he said belonged to one of his producers, the window blew in, clearly with enough force to scatter shards of glass right across the room. There was no one in the room at the time. |
| Lartey, 72 miles inland from Mexico Beach, where the direct hit was experienced, had duct tape with him to put over the windows but in the end did not need it. Last night just before 11PM he wrote: “Have heard five to six glass breaks in the last 90 minutes. The roof at the hotel across from me is shredded. The sign, too.” | Lartey, 72 miles inland from Mexico Beach, where the direct hit was experienced, had duct tape with him to put over the windows but in the end did not need it. Last night just before 11PM he wrote: “Have heard five to six glass breaks in the last 90 minutes. The roof at the hotel across from me is shredded. The sign, too.” |
| At times as the wind roared, Lartey had to retreat behind the bed in his hotel room for safety. His window held. “We’re past the hurricane force winds now,” he said, before his communications went out. With day breaking, we’ll bring you more news from Jamiles when we hear from him. | At times as the wind roared, Lartey had to retreat behind the bed in his hotel room for safety. His window held. “We’re past the hurricane force winds now,” he said, before his communications went out. With day breaking, we’ll bring you more news from Jamiles when we hear from him. |
| The center of Michael is now moving over South Carolina, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. | The center of Michael is now moving over South Carolina, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. |
| Michael is now a tropical storm, driving sustained winds of 50mph. | Michael is now a tropical storm, driving sustained winds of 50mph. |
| The storm is about 40 miles northwest of Columbia, South Carolina. | The storm is about 40 miles northwest of Columbia, South Carolina. |
| While the storm weakened considerably since it tore through Florida as a category 4 hurricane, it is now hitting areas that were already reeling from Hurricane Florence. | While the storm weakened considerably since it tore through Florida as a category 4 hurricane, it is now hitting areas that were already reeling from Hurricane Florence. |
| The center of Michael will continue to move across central South Carolina this morning, then move across portions of central and eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia this afternoon andthis evening, according to the Hurricane Center. After that, it’s expected to blow back out into the Atlantic Ocean. | The center of Michael will continue to move across central South Carolina this morning, then move across portions of central and eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia this afternoon andthis evening, according to the Hurricane Center. After that, it’s expected to blow back out into the Atlantic Ocean. |
| Parts of North Carolina’s outer banks, which were hard hit by Florence, could see storm surge of two to four feet from Michael. | Parts of North Carolina’s outer banks, which were hard hit by Florence, could see storm surge of two to four feet from Michael. |
| Tropical storm conditions are now occurring over portions of eastern and southeastern Georgia and South Carolina, and will spread northward across central and eastern portions of North Carolina today. | Tropical storm conditions are now occurring over portions of eastern and southeastern Georgia and South Carolina, and will spread northward across central and eastern portions of North Carolina today. |
| After devastating the Florida Panhandle, Hurricane Michael headed for Georgia and the Carolinas late Wednesday. We’ll have more live updates today on its toll. | After devastating the Florida Panhandle, Hurricane Michael headed for Georgia and the Carolinas late Wednesday. We’ll have more live updates today on its toll. |
| A second death from the storm has been reported: An 11-year-old girl in Seminole County, Georgia died after a mobile carport was picked up by the wind, crashed through the roof of the home where she was staying, and hit her in the head, emergency management agency director Travis Brooks told WALB. | A second death from the storm has been reported: An 11-year-old girl in Seminole County, Georgia died after a mobile carport was picked up by the wind, crashed through the roof of the home where she was staying, and hit her in the head, emergency management agency director Travis Brooks told WALB. |
| It was 1:50 am Thursday by the time emergency crews were able to get to the girl, Brooks said. | It was 1:50 am Thursday by the time emergency crews were able to get to the girl, Brooks said. |