Courtesy of our friends at The Weather Channel, here are some of the latest statistics and updates on Hurricane Michael:
Hurricane Michael is expected to landfall along the Florida Panhandle Gulf Coast Wednesday. Storm surge, damaging winds and heavy rain are likely impacts along the northeastern Gulf Coast.
Hurricane warnings and storm surge warnings have been issued along the Gulf coast of Florida. Heavy rain and strong winds will spread farther inland across parts of the Southeast after landfall.
Hurricane Michael will continue to intensify and is forecast to strike the Florida Panhandle as a Category 3 with dangerous storm surge flooding, destructive winds and flooding rainfall.
Michael will also bring heavy rain and strong winds to other parts of the southeastern United States after it moves inland.
“Michael could develop into a potentially catastrophic event for the northeastern Gulf Coast,” the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee, Florida, wrote in its area forecast discussion Monday afternoon.
Michael could be the strongest hurricane to landfall along the stretch of Florida’s Panhandle Gulf Coast in 12 years. Michael was centered about 420 miles south of Panama City, Florida on Monday afternoon, and was moving north-northwest.
Outer rain bands from Michael already soaked the Florida Keys Monday. A wind gust to 55 mph was measured at the NWS office in Key West, Florida, late Monday afternoon in association with Hurricane Michael’s outer rain bands.
Michael rapidly intensified from 11 PM EDT Sunday to 11 PM EDT Monday, when its winds increased from 35 mph to 75 mph during that 24-hour period.
A storm surge warning has been hoisted from the Okaloosa/Walton County line in Florida to Anclote River, Florida. This means life-threatening storm surge inundation is a danger in the warning area within 36 hours.
Storm surge watches have been issued from Anclote River, Florida, to Anna Maria Island, Florida, including Tampa Bay, and from the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County line in Florida. This means life-threatening storm surge inundation is possible in the watch area within 48 hours.
A hurricane warning is now posted for the Florida Gulf coast from the Alabama/Florida border to Suwanee River, Florida, including Pensacola, Panama City and Tallahassee.
The hurricane warning also extends inland to southwestern Georgia, including Albany. Hurricane warnings are issued 36 hours before the anticipated arrival of tropical-storm-force winds (39-plus mph), which is when outside preparations become dangerous.
A hurricane watch has been issued from the Alabama/Florida border westward to the Mississippi/Alabama border. Hurricane watches are issued 48 hours before the anticipated arrival of tropical-storm-force winds.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect from the Alabama/Florida border westward to the Mississippi/Alabama border and from Suwannee River, Florida, southward to Chassahowitzka, Florida.
The tropical storm warning also extends inland to portions of southern Alabama and southwestern Georgia, including Mobile, Alabama, and Valdosta, Georgia. This means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.
Tropical storm watches have been posted from Chassahowitzka, Florida, to Anna Maria Island, Florida, including Tampa Bay, from the Mississippi/Alabama border westward to the mouth of the Pearl River, and along parts of the Southeast coast from north of Jacksonville to near Charleston, South Carolina, including Savannah and Bruswick/St. Simons Island, Georgia.
This means tropical storm-force conditions are possible within 48 hours.
– Landfall is most likely to occur somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend of Florida a few hours either side of midday Wednesday.
– Conditions may begin to deteriorate as early as Tuesday evening on the northeastern Gulf Coast.
– After landfall, Michael will then accelerate inland across the southeastern U.S. Wednesday night through Thursday night with gusty winds and heavy rain.
– Michael could enhance rainfall in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern New England Thursday night and Friday.
