Florida panhandle

Jennifer Kay and Gary Fineout Associated Press Published 11:02 PM EDT Oct 9, 2018 Tallahassee, Fla. – A fast and furious Hurricane Michael sped toward the Florida Panhandle on Tuesday night with 120 mph winds and a potential storm surge of 13 feet, giving tens of thousands of people precious little time to get out or board up. Drawing energy from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the storm strengthened rapidly into a potentially devastating Category 3 and was getting much better organized after nightfall. Forecasters said Michael could be near a very dangerous Category 4 by landfall, with further strengthening expected overnibght. It was expected to blow ashore around midday Wednesday near Panama City Beach, along a lightly populated stretch of fishing villages and white-sand spring-break beaches. While Florence took five days between the time it turned into a hurricane and the moment it rolled into the Carolinas, Michael gave Florida what amounted to two … [Read more...] about Hurricane Michael bearing down on Florida Panhandle

Jennifer Kay and Gary Fineout Associated Press Published 12:07 PM EDT Oct 9, 2018 Tallahassee, Fla. – An estimated 120,000 people along the Florida Panhandle were ordered to clear out on Tuesday as Hurricane Michael rapidly picked up steam in the Gulf of Mexico and closed in with winds of 110 mph and a potential storm surge of 12 feet. Beach dwellers rushed to board up their homes and sandbag their properties against the fast-moving hurricane, which was expected to blow ashore around midday Wednesday. The speed of the storm – Michael was moving north 12 mph – gave many people a dwindling number of hours to prepare or flee before being caught up in damaging wind and rain. “Guess what? That’s today,” National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said. “If they tell you to leave, you have to leave.” By 11 a.m., Michael had winds of 110 mph, just below a major Category 3 hurricane, and was getting stronger, drawing energy from … [Read more...] about Fast-strengthening hurricane closes in on Florida Panhandle

Mike Schneider The Associated Press Published 7:46 AM EDT Oct 8, 2018 Orlando, Fla. – A tropical storm that rapidly formed off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula has gained new strength and could become a dangerous Category 2 hurricane with an expected midweek strike on the Gulf Coast in the Florida Panhandle, forecasts say. Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued an order for a state of emergency for 26 counties to rush preparations in the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend area, freeing up resources and activating 500 members of the Florida National Guard. “This storm will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous,” Scott said Sunday after receiving a briefing at the State Emergency Operations Center. He warned that storm surge could affect areas of Florida not in the storm’s direct path. Michael emerged Sunday as a tropical storm with winds of up to 50 mph. But within hours Sunday it had gained more punch and its top sustained winds clocked in at 60 mph by late … [Read more...] about Michael a growing menace to Florida Panhandle