Hurricane Michael is strengthening as it races over the Gulf of Mexico approaching a landfall along Florida's Panhandle. Forecasters say deadly storm surge, catastrophic wind damage and heavy rainfall are imminent.The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the Category 4 storm has maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) and is moving at 13 mph (20 kph). At 8 a.m., Michael was centered about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Panama City, with tropical storm force winds already lashing the coast.The hurricane center says Michael will be the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall on the Florida Panhandle.The unexpected brute that quickly sprang from a weekend tropical depression grew swiftly, rising in days to a catastrophic storm. Around midday it was expected to become one of the Panhandle's worst hurricanes in memory with heavy rainfall expected along the northeastern Gulf Coast and life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters).Florida officials said roughly 375,000 people up and down the Gulf Coast had been urged or ordered to evacuate. Evacuations spanned 22 counties from the Florida Panhandle into north central Florida. But fears lingered that some failed to heed the calls to get out of Michael's way as the hard-charging storm began speeding north over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.Worried meteorologists said it had the potential of becoming one of the worst storms in the history of Florida's Panhandle."I guess it's the worst case scenario. I don't think anyone would have experienced this in the Panhandle," meteorologist Ryan Maue of weathermodels.com told The Associated Press. "This is going to have structure damaging winds along the coast and hurricane force winds inland."Cameras outside the International Space Station captured views of Hurricane Michael on Tuesday. The Hurricane is expected to make landfall in the Florida panhandle on Wednesday.University of Georgia's Marshall Shepherd, a former president of the American Meteorological Society, called it a "life-altering event" on Facebook and said he watched the storm's growth on satellite images with a pit growing in his stomach.Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith near the vulnerable coast said his deputies had gone door to door in some places urging people to evacuate. "We have done everything we can as far as getting the word out," Smith said. "Hopefully more people will leave."On the exposed coast of Florida's Big Bend, most of the waterfront homes in Keaton Beach stood vacant amid fears of a life-threatening storm surge in an area that hadn't seen a potentially catastrophic major hurricane in decades. Even so, 77-year-old resident Robert Sadousky wasn't quite ready to evacuate yet.The retired mill worker has spent more than half his life on the coast and weathered his share of storms. He chose the spot where his house stands on tall stilts overlooking the Gulf waters in 1972 after it was the only lot left dry after a storm flooded the beach that year.While most homes around him are vacation rentals or summer getaways for their owners, Sadousky had stayed put through more than four decades of storms. No longer. Michael was expected to bring surging seas up 9 feet (2.75 meters) above ground level at Keaton Beach."I know it's going to cover everything around here," Sadousky said Tuesday, eyeing water lapping at the edge of a canal behind his home. He pulled two small boat docks from the water, packed his pickup and picked some beans from his garden before getting out - like hundreds of thousands elsewhere."We don't know if it's going to wipe out our house or not," Jason McDonald, of Panama City, said as he and his wife drove north to safety into Alabama with their two children, ages 5 and 7. "We want to get them out of the way."Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned it was a "monstrous hurricane," and his Democratic opponent for the Senate, Sen. Bill Nelson, said a "wall of water" could cause destruction along the Panhandle."Don't think that you can ride this out if you're in a low-lying area," Nelson said on CNN.But some officials were worried by what they weren't seeing - a rush of evacuees."I am not seeing the level of traffic on the roadways that I would expect when we've called for the evacuation of 75 percent of this county," Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said.In the dangerously exposed coastal town of Apalachicola, population 2,500, Sally Crown planned to go home and hunker down with her two dogs."We've been through this before," she said. "This might be really bad and serious. But in my experience, it's always blown way out of proportion."Mandatory evacuation orders went into effect in Panama City Beach and other low-lying areas in the storm's path. That included Pensacola Beach but not in Pensacola itself, a city of about 54,000.Michael could dump up to a foot (30 centimeters) of rain over some Panhandle communities before its remnants go back out to sea by way of the mid-Atlantic states over the next few days. Forecasters said it also could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, triggering flash flooding in a corner of the country still recovering from Florence. And isolated tornadoes were also possible. </s> (CNN) — Hurricane Michael, which is poised to slam Florida’s Panhandle, has strengthened into a now a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Maximum sustained winds increased to 120 mph, with gusts to 150 mph on Tuesday afternoon. Michael is expected to strengthen even more as it continues to head toward the Gulf Coast.

Michael, which is spinning the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle still a Category 3 storm. It is threatening dangerous storm surges to low-lying areas ill-equipped to handle them. Officials are urging people to get out of the way now.

Gov. Rick Scott called Michael a “monstrous storm” that could bring “total devastation” in and around the Panhandle area.

“Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades,” Scott said.

“You cannot hide from storm surge, so … get out if an evacuation is ordered,” he said.

Winds of tropical storm force will be felt in the area starting early Wednesday, and mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders already have been issued in at least 22 counties on the Florida Gulf Coast.

About 3.7 million people were under hurricane warnings in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions, as well as parts of southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia. Tropical storm warnings cover a further 3.1 million people in the three states.

Michael’s core, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, was about 335 miles south of Panama City, Florida, as of 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds were outward up to 185 miles.

The main threats

 The storm’s center and where it makes landfall with its destructive winds represent just one of several concerns. Among them:
• Storm surges could slam the coasts of the Florida Panhandle, Big Bend and Nature Coast, the National Hurricane Center said. The deadliest storm surge of possibly 9 to 13 feet is expected between Mexico Beach an Keaton Beach. “That means the water will come miles in shore and could easily be over the roofs of houses,” Scott said.
• Heavy rain and flooding are expected not just for Florida but also for other parts of the Southeast. Up to 12 inches of rain could fall in Florida’s Panhandle and Big Bend, southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia, while parts of the Carolinas — recently deluged by Hurricane Florence — and southern Virginia eventually could see up to 6 inches, the hurricane center said.
• Tornadoes could spawn in the Southeast on Tuesday night into Thursday, forecasters said.
• Damaging winds are expected to rake not just Florida but also southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia. If Michael’s core comes ashore as a Category 2 or higher, it would be the strongest storm in terms of wind speed to make landfall in the country this year.

“You will see damage to infrastructure. You will see power outages,” said Jeff Byard, associate administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Response and Recovery.

‘We need the residents to be leaving today’

 A hurricane warning is in place from the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River in Florida.

Meanwhile, tropical storm warnings extend from Florida’s Chassahowitzka River to the Mississippi-Alabama border. Tropical storm watches are in effect in some coastal areas of Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Storm surge warnings are also in place along the Florida and Alabama coasts.

“This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions,” the hurricane center said.

US Rep. Neal Dunn, whose district includes Panama City, urged people under evacuation orders to get out before tropical-storm-force winds arrived. He focused on islands off the coast whose bridges may close as the storm approaches.

“You haven’t got anywhere to go (if the bridges close),” he said Tuesday morning. “And then you’re riding it out in your car instead of something else. So we need the residents to be leaving today … because by this evening, those bridges are going to be in peril of being closed.”

Scott extended a state of emergency to 35 counties and activated 2,500 National Guardsmen for hurricane duty. He said tolls were being suspended in the state’s northwest region to ease the evacuation process, and the Florida Highway Patrol is sending nearly 350 state troopers to the Panhandle and Big Bend areas.

A couple move up their beachside wedding

 The hurricane forced Benny and Cindy Guinn to get married a day earlier.

The couple was supposed to get hitched Wednesday in Florida’s Panama City Beach, but Michael’s approach forced mandatory evacuations there.

“We (first) bumped it up to Tuesday night … and then we bumped it up to Tuesday morning,” Cindy Guinn said.

With an officiant standing in front of them, the couple said their vows on the beach as brisk winds brushed them.

Elsewhere at Panama City Beach, many businesses were closed and homes were boarded up.

Cars were in long lines at one of the town’s gas stations Tuesday.

“Since 6 a.m. it’s been backed up. We’re just now running out of regular (gas),” worker Danny Hess told CNN affiliate WJHG.

Georgia, Alabama prepare for damage

 In Georgia, Gov. Nathan Deal declared an emergency for 92 counties.

In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide state of emergency, saying on Twitter that it was “in anticipation of wide-spread power outages, wind damage and debris produced by high winds & heavy rain associated with #HurricaneMichael.”

The governor’s declaration activates the state’s emergency operations plan, according to Ivey’s office.

Deaths in Central America

 Michael has been lashing western Cuba as it churned toward the United States. Up to 12 inches could fall there, threatening flash floods and mudslides, the hurricane center said Tuesday.

Over the weekend, flooding related to Michael led to at least 13 deaths in the Central American countries of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, according to officials. </s> With Hurricane Michael rapidly intensifying and threatening to smash Florida's Panhandle with dangerous storm surge, flooding and winds, Gov. Rick Scott didn't mince words on Monday night: "Making decisions tomorrow might be too late."

Described by Scott as both "monstrous" and "massive," Michael could make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of at least 111 mph, according to current projections. It's forecast to become a major hurricane sometime Tuesday and should make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening, likely between Pensacola in the far western Panhandle and Apalachicola, directly south of Tallahassee on the coast.

"Michael could be one of the worst hurricanes to ever strike the Florida Big Bend and Florida Panhandle region," warned Weather Channel hurricane expert Rick Knabb.

Michael's maximum sustained winds increased to 90 mph on Monday night, the National Hurricane Center reported in its 11 p.m. EST update. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwanee River, with a hurricane watch in place from the Alabama-Florida border to the Mississippi-Alabama border.

As of 11 p.m. Monday, Michael was centered about 455 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida, and 485 miles south of Panama City, Florida. It was moving north at 12 mph.

"Michael could produce three life-threatening hazards along portions of the northeastern Gulf Coast: storm surge, heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds," according to the hurricane center.

Because of the storm surge threat, three Florida Panhandle counties issued mandatory evacuation orders. A storm surge of up to 12 feet is forecast for a large section of the Florida coast.

According to the hurricane center, one potential impact from a Category 3 hurricane is that "electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes."

A major hurricane is a Category 5, 4 or 3 hurricane, which has winds of at least 111 mph. If the forecast is correct, Michael would be the 11th major hurricane to hit Florida in October since records began in 1851, Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach said.

Scott declared an emergency in 35 counties and asked President Donald Trump for help. Florida State University announced it will close from Tuesday through Friday this week.

“Take this seriously and keep your family safe,” Scott said from Bay County on Monday. “We know that a storm like Michael can be devastating and deadly.”

Scott said 500 Florida National Guard members were activated for planning, logistics and response, and 5,000 stood at the ready.

"Do not take a chance on storm surge," Scott said. "This storm will be life-threatening and really dangerous. This is coming very fast."

Speaking Monday to the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Orlando, Trump urged residents to heed local warnings and pledged the federal government's support.

“Never ends, but we’re all prepared and hopefully it won’t be as bad as it’s looking,” Mr. Trump said. “It looked a couple of days ago like it was not going to be much, and now it’s looking like it could be a very big one, so we’re prepared. And good luck.”

In the popular tourist destination of Seaside, people were starting to feel nervous, said Kevin Boyle, the town's director of events.

"I think everyone has been caught off guard by how quickly this thing has grown. It's started to slow down and strengthen out there in the Gulf and now we are looking at the possibility of a major hurricane hitting us dead on," he said.

"It's kind of got us all on edge right now," Rachel Burke, general manger of Brass Tap Craft Beer Bar on Panama City Beach, said Monday afternoon.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency in her state, "in anticipation of widespread power outages, wind damage and debris produced by high winds and heavy rain associated with Hurricane Michael."

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee said: "This is a storm to definitely take very seriously. Storm preparations should be rushed to completion today and Tuesday."

After the storm moves inland, it could dump additional unwanted rain on the Carolinas, which were battered by Florence in September. "Areas hit hard by Florence may face disruptions to ongoing cleanup efforts or renewed flooding depending on the track of the storm," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.

Michael is the seventh hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Michael quickly intensified into a Category 2 over warm Gulf of Mexico waters Tuesday amid fears it would strike Florida on Wednesday as an even stronger hurricane. Mandatory evacuations were issued as beach dwellers rushed to board up homes just ahead of what could be a devastating hit.

A hurricane hunter plane that bounced into the swirling eye off the western tip of Cuba found wind speeds rising. By 8 a.m. Tuesday, top winds had reached 100 mph (155 kph), and it was forecast to strengthen into a “major” Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of more than 111 mph (179 kph).

The speed of the storm barreling toward the Florida Panhandle — Michael was already north of Cuba and moving north-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph) — gave many people only hours to prepare and flee before damaging wind and rain starts whipping the coast.

“Guess what? That’s today,” National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said. “If they tell you to leave, you have to leave.”

Gov. Rick Scott also warned people across northwest Florida Tuesday morning that the “monstrous hurricane” was just hours away, bringing deadly risks from high winds, storm surge and heavy rains.

His opponent in Florida’s Senate race, Sen. Bill Nelson, said a “wall of water” could cause major destruction along the Panhandle. “Don’t think that you can ride this out if you’re in a low-lying area,” Nelson said on CNN.

Mandatory evacuation orders went into effect Tuesday morning for some 120,000 people in Panama City Beach and across other low-lying parts of the coast.

Forecasters said parts of Florida’s marshy, lightly populated Big Bend area could see up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) of storm surge.

Michael also could dump up to a foot (30 centimeters) of rain over some Panhandle communities before it sweeps over Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia Wednesday and Thursday. Forecasters said tornadoes could spin off the storm and 3 to 6 inches of rain could cause flash floods as it barrels over a corner of the country still recovering from Hurricane Florence.

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan bluntly advised residents choosing to ride it out that first-responders won’t be able to reach them while Michael smashes into the coast.

“If you decide to stay in your home and a tree falls on your house or the storm surge catches you and you’re now calling for help, there’s no one that can respond to help you,” Morgan said at a news conference.

Michael wasn’t quite done wreaking havoc in the Caribbean on Tuesday. Forecasters warned of up to a foot (30 centimeters) of rain in western Cuba, triggering flash floods and mudslides in mountain areas, and disaster agencies in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua reported 13 deaths as roofs collapsed and residents were carried away by swollen rivers.

In Florida, Scott declared a state of emergency for 35 counties, from the Panhandle to Tampa Bay, activated hundreds of Florida National Guard members and waived tolls to encourage evacuations. The governors of Alabama and Georgia also made emergency declarations.

With just a month to go before Election Day, Florida voters in evacuation zones also were given one more day to register to vote, once offices reopen after the storm.

Scott also told caregivers at north Florida hospitals and nursing homes to do all they can to assure the safety of the elderly and infirm. Following Hurricane Irma last year, 14 people died when a South Florida nursing home lost power and air conditioning.

“If you’re responsible for a patient, you’re responsible for the patient. Take care of them,” he said.

In the small Panhandle city of Apalachicola, Mayor Van Johnson Sr. said the 2,300 residents were frantically preparing for what could be a strike unlike any seen there in decades. Many filled sandbags and boarded up homes and lined up to buy gas and groceries before leaving town.

“We’re looking at a significant storm with significant impact, possibly greater than I’ve seen in my 59 years of life,” Johnson said of his city on the shore of Apalachicola Bay, which where about 90 percent of Florida’s oysters are harvested.

There will be no shelters open in Wakulla County, the sheriff’s office warned on Facebook, because they are rated safe only for hurricanes with top sustained winds below 111 mph (178 kph). With Michael’s winds projected to be even stronger, residents there were urged to evacuate inland.

“This storm has the potential to be a historic storm, please take heed,” the sheriff’s office said in the post.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, Florida’s Democratic nominee for governor, filled sandbags with residents and urged the state capital’s residents to finish emergency preparations quickly.

“There’s nothing between us and this storm but warm water, and I think that’s what terrifies us about the potential impacts,” Gillum said. </s> MIAMI (AP) - The Latest on Hurricane Michael (all times local):

Hurricane Michael continues to gain strength as it moves through the southern Gulf of Mexico.

By 5 a.m. Tuesday, Michael's top sustained winds had risen some to 90 mph (144 kph) as it headed north at 12 mph (19 kph).

The Category 1 storm was centered about 390 miles (627 kilometers) south of Apalachicola and 420 miles (675 kilometers) south of Panama City, Florida. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles (56 kilometers) from the core and tropical-storm-force winds out 175 miles (280 kilometers). Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the core and tropical-storm-force winds out 195 miles (313.81 kilometers).

Forecasters say the center of Michael will continue to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday morning. The storm will then move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico later Tuesday into the night.

The center is then expected to move inland over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area on Wednesday, and then move northeastward across the southeastern United States Wednesday night and Thursday.

Michael has gained new strength over warm tropical waters and is forecast to quickly intensify into a major hurricane before a midweek landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast

In the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas, people are frantically boarding up homes, filling sandbags and planning for evacuation routes away from the storm's projected strike zone.

A hurricane hunter plane that bounced into the swirling eye of Michael off the western tip of Cuba late Monday found wind speeds were rising even as forecasters warned the storm could reach major hurricane status with winds topping 111 mph (179 kph) by Tuesday night.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott calls it a "monstrous hurricane" and is warning of a potentially devastating strike sometime Wednesday. </s> Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Hurricane Michael strengthened into a Category 4 storm early Wednesday as it made a final approach to the northwestern Florida coastline before it arrives on land.

Michael will arrive as an "extremely dangerous" storm Wednesday afternoon with winds of 145 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. update Wednesday. Michael's location was about 90 miles southwest of both Panama City, Fla., and Apalachicola, Fla., the NHC said. It's moving north at 13 mph.

The NHC said Michael could still grow stronger before it reaches the Florida coast.

Forecasters predicted Michael would be a major hurricane -- Category 3 or stronger -- by the time it arrived Wednesday. Overnight Tuesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott posted a series of tweets warning residents to prepare and evacuate.

"This is your last chance to evacuate before conditions start deteriorating within the next few hours," Scott wrote. "Storm surge can occur before, during, or after the center of a storm passes through an area. I'm asking all Floridians to stay vigilant throughout tonight and tomorrow as we brace for Hurricane Michael to make landfall."

Forecasters have warned that Michael's strength could be "catastrophic" for communities in its path -- anywhere from Pensacola on the western flank of the Florida Panhandle to Tampa. They said Michael could be the strongest hurricane to hit that stretch of coastline in 13 years.

Large waves are expected from Mexico Beach to Keaton Beach, where they could reach 9 to 13 feet in height. Storm surge could reach heights of 6 to 9 feet from the Okaloosa-Walton County line to Mexico Beach and from Keaton Beach to Cedar Key. Cedar Key to Chassahowitzka could see storm surge topping out between 4 to 6 feet. The areas from Chassahowitzka to Anna Maria Island and between the Alabama-Florida border and the Okaloosa-Walton county line could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.

The NHC forecasts 4 to 8 inches of rain for the Panhandle, southeast Alabama and parts of southwest and central Georgia. Isolated areas could get 12 inches and life-threatening flash floods.

After reaching land, Michael is expected to travel northeast at hurricane strength as it passes over Georgia. It will weaken into a tropical storm near the Carolinas and Virginia on its way back to the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said. </s> Hurricane Michael forecast: What to expect and when

ABC NEWS – Hurricane Michael — a Category 4 hurricane — churned toward the Florida Panhandle early Wednesday as the state and its neighbors braced for the impact.

The storm reached Category 4 status in the overnight hours Wednesday morning with winds of 140 mph.

The storm is expected to remain a strong Category 4 storm by landfall. No Category 4 or greater storm has ever hit the Florida Panhandle.

Here is what to expect and when

— As of the National Weather Service’s 5 a.m. update, Michael was 140 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Florida, but outer bands were already starting to deliver rain.

— Landfall is forecast for around 1 p.m. Wednesday near Panama City, with winds over 140 mph. (A Category 5 hurricane is over 156 mph, which it is not likely to reach.)

— Storm surge could reach a deadly 13 feet, the National Hurricane Center warned. “You cannot hide from storm surge,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a news conference Tuesday. “This storm can kill you.”

— Storm surge of 9 to 13 feet is expected from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to Keaton Beach, Florida.

— The Florida Panhandle will start to see tropical storm strength winds (over 38 mph) in the early morning hours. Hurricane strength winds are expected during the midday.

— Rainfall could reach 12 inches in the Florida Panhandle and up to 6 inches, with isolated totals of 8 inches, in the Carolinas.

— Warnings are in effect for more than 300 miles of coastline, the National Weather Service said.

— Michael is forecast to stay a tropical storm as it moves through Georgia and into the Carolinas on Thursday.

— The storm is expected to move further inland later in the week, potentially bringing rain and heavy wind to portions of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. </s> Hurricane Michael formed Monday morning in the Caribbean Sea and is heading for a landfall as a major hurricane with 120-mph winds along the Gulf Coast by midweek.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says Michael is a “monstrous storm” that has the potential to be devastating to the Florida Panhandle.

By 4 p.m. Monday, Michael's top sustained winds were around 75 mph (120 kph).

The storm was centered about 30 miles (80 kilometers) off the western tip of Cuba, and about 520 miles (835 kilometers) south of Apalachicola, Florida. It was moving north around 9 mph (11 kph).

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said. Steady to rapid strengthening is expected for the next day or so. Michael is forecast to become a major hurricane by Tuesday or Tuesday night and should make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening.

"Michael could produce three life-threatening hazards along portions of the northeastern Gulf Coast: storm surge, heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds," according to the hurricane center.

Because of the storm surge threat, three Florida panhandle counties have issued mandatory evacuation orders ahead of the hurricane.

A hurricane watch has been posted for the Florida Gulf Coast, all the way from the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River in Florida. A storm surge of up to 12 feet is forecast for a large section of the Florida coast.

According to the hurricane center, one potential impact from a Category 3 hurricane is that "electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes."

A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane, which has winds of at least 111 mph. If the forecast is correct, it would be only the 11th major hurricane to hit Florida in October since records began in 1851, Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach said.

Scott declared an emergency in 35 counties and has asked President Trump for help ahead of the storm.

“Take this seriously and keep your family safe,” Scott said from Bay County on Monday. “We know that a storm like Michael can be devastating and deadly.”

Florida State University announced it will close from Tuesday through Friday this week.

Scott said 500 Florida National Guard members had been activated for planning, logistics and response, and another 5,000 stood at the ready.

"Do not take a chance on storm surge," Scott said. "This storm will be life-threatening and really dangerous. This is coming very fast."

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also declared a state of emergency in her state, "in anticipation of widespread power outages, wind damage and debris produced by high winds and heavy rain associated with Hurricane Michael."

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee said: "This is a storm to definitely take very seriously. Storm preparations should be rushed to completion today and Tuesday."

Early Monday afternoon, Michael was centered about 20 miles off the western tip of Cuba and about 600 miles south of Tallahassee, Florida. It was moving to the north at 7 mph.

After the storm moves inland, it could dump additional unwanted rain on the Carolinas, which were battered by Florence in September. "Areas hit hard by Florence may face disruptions to ongoing cleanup efforts or renewed flooding depending on the track of the storm," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.

Michael is the seventh hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Sergio was spinning about 1,300 miles southwest of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. It's forecast to move toward the Baja this week and eventually make landfall as a tropical storm by week's end.

A separate storm system is forecast to drench the central U.S. in heavy rain on Monday. Flash flooding is possible in portions of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. </s> Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Hurricane Michael strengthened into a Category 4 storm early Wednesday as it heads toward the Florida Panhandle.

Michael will come ashore as an "extremely dangerous" storm Wednesday afternoon packing winds of 140 mph, the National Hurricane Center said its 5 a.m. update Wednesday. Life-threatening storm surge and heavy rainfall is expected along Florida's northeastern Gulf Coast.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott posted a series of tweets overnight warning residents along the coast to evacuate.

"This is your last chance to evacuate before conditions start deteriorating within the next few hours," Scott said. "Storm surge can occur before, during, or after the center of a storm passes through an area. I'm asking all Floridians to stay vigilant throughout tonight and tomorrow as we brace for Hurricane Michael to make landfall."

Michael's location was about 140 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Fla. and 130 miles southwest of Apalachicola, Fla.

Forecasters say it could bring catastrophic damage when it makes landfall.

"Michael could develop into a potentially catastrophic event for the northeastern Gulf Coast," the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee, Fla., said. Forecasters said Michael could be the strongest hurricane in 12 years to hit the stretch of coastline from Pensacola to Tampa.

Large waves are expected from Mexico Beach to Keaton Beach, where they could reach 9 to 13 feet in height. Storm surge could reach heights of 6 to 9 feet from the Okaloosa-Walton County line to Mexico Beach and from Keaton Beach to Cedar Key. Cedar Key to Chassahowitzka could see storm surge topping out between 4 to 6 feet. The areas from Chassahowitzka to Anna Maria Island and between the Alabama-Florida border and the Okaloosa-Walton county line could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.

"This is a life-threatening situation," the NHC said Tuesday. "Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions. Promptly follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials."

A storm surge warning was in effect from the Okaloosa-Walton County line to the Anclote River, the NHC said. A hurricane warning covered the Alabama-Florida border east to the Suwannee River.

The NHC forecasts 4 to 8 inches of rain for the Panhandle, southeast Alabama and parts of southwest and central Georgia. Isolated areas could get 12 inches with the threat of life-threatening flash floods.

Once it reaches land, Michael's track takes it northeast where it will still be at hurricane strength as it passes over Georgia. It will weaken into a tropical storm as it passes over the Carolinas and Virginia on its way back to the Atlantic Ocean.

Farther out in the Atlantic, Leslie has regained hurricane status as it meanders east. The Category 1 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the NHC said in a 5 a.m. update. The storm, located 1,105 miles from Azores, is expected to strengthen slowly over the next few days.

Leslie was a subtropical storm on Sept. 23 but weakened into depression, then back into a tropical storm, before reaching hurricane strength again.

Tropical Storm Nadine is also spinning about 485 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, the NHC said in its 5 a.m. update Wednesday.
Hurricane Michael strengthens to a category 2 storm with 110 mph winds as it continues to ascend through the Florida Panhandle.