Hurricane Michael is now Category 4 storm
■ Unprecedented weather seen in Florida Gulf Coast in US
Panama City, US, Oct. 10: Hurricane Michael closed in on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday as an “extremely dangerous” category four storm packing powerful winds and a huge sea surge, US forecasters said.
The Miami- based National Hurricane Centre said the storm, which local forecasters are calling an “unprecedented” weather event for the area, is expected to slam ashore later in the day with “lifethreatening” storm surges.
Top winds were swirling at 230 km per hour, with the NHC warning it could grow stronger still, as outer rain bands from the storm lashed the coast.
A storm surge of up to 14 feet ( four metres) and up to a foot of rain was expected in some areas.
“Water is going to come up, it’s going to cover your roof. You do not have a chance to survive, so I’m very concerned,” Governor Rick Scott said.
“It’s too late to evacuate now on the coast... Hunker down, and be careful, listen to locals. Don’t go out in the middle of this. You are not going to survive it. It’s deadly.”
An estimated 375,000 people in more than 20 counties were ordered or advised to evacuate.
The National Weather Service office in the state capital Tallahassee issued a dramatic appeal for people to comply with evacuation orders. “Hurricane Michael is an unprecedented event and cannot be compared to any of our previous events. Do not risk your life, leave NOW if you were told to do so,” it said.
The storm was forecast to make landfall along the Florida Panhandle. It was expected to bring winds and heavy rainfall, the NHC said. It will then move across the southeastern US for another day or so as it heads toward the Atlantic. The NWS office said it had found no record of any previous category four hurricanes in the area.