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> 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. </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> Michael is expected to strengthen rapidly before hitting the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, packing winds of at least 100mph (160 km per hour), the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The hurricane could make landfall as a Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale and bring 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) of rain with life-threatening flash flooding, according to forecasters. Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 26 counties along the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend. Mr Scott advised Gulf Coast residents to prepare for possible evacuation orders, and he has put more than 5,000 National Guard soldiers on alert.

In a tweet, he said: "Families should take the opportunity TODAY to make sure they have three days of food and water, as well as all needed medications. "EVERY FAMILY must be prepared. We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life." He warned residents the dangerous storm surge could hit parts of Florida not directly in the storm’s path. Florida State University said its campuses in Tallahassee and Panama City will be closed from Tuesday through Friday. BP Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp on Monday began evacuating personnel from Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production platforms.

Candidates in the upcoming midterm elections have suspended campaigning to focus on preparing for the storm. Michael has already battered parts of Mexico and Cuba with powerful winds and heavy rain hitting on Sunday and the early hours of Monday. After hitting Florida, the storm is forecast to move northeast on Wednesday and Thursday along the Atlantic Coast and batter the Carolinas, which are still recovering from Hurricane Florence last month. Evacuation orders are yet to be issued with coastal counties closely monitoring Michael and in talks with officials from the National Weather Service. During a briefing on Hurricane Michael, Mr Scott said: “Take this seriously and keep your family safe. “We know that a storm like Michael can be devastating and deadly.” </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> TROPICAL storm Michael strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Monday as it barrelled toward the US Gulf Coast packing maximum sustained winds of 120km per hour, meteorologists said.

The weather system was located between Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula and the west coast of Cuba and was heading slowly towards the northern Gulf Coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

It is expected to be a major Category 3 hurricane by the time it hits Florida on Wednesday, before moving northeast across the southeastern United States through until Thursday.

“#Michael could produce three life-threatening hazards along portions of the northeastern Gulf Coast: storm surge, heavy rainfall, and hurricane-force winds, with storm surge and hurricane watches in effect,” the National Hurricane Centre said on Twitter.

“Residents in these areas should follow advice given by local officials.”

Heavy rainfall from Michael could produce “life-threatening flash flooding,” the National Hurricane Centre said, from the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend region into portions of the Carolinas through until Thursday.

The first rains from Michael were already beginning to soak the Florida Keys on Monday, with up to 10 centimetres expected to fall through until Tuesday.

“This morning I met with local officials and emergency management professionals in Bay County in preparation for Hurricane Michael,” Governor Scott tweeted.

“I will be in Pasco County this afternoon to give another briefing. [Florida] families need to get ready for this storm RIGHT NOW.”

The Carolinas are on the long recovery from Hurricane Florence, which left dozens dead and is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in damage last month.

It made landfall on the coast as a Category 1 hurricane on September 14 and drenched some parts of the state with one metre of rain.

Last year saw a string of catastrophic storms batter the West Atlantic — including Irma, Maria and Hurricane Harvey — causing a record-equalling $US125 billion ($A177 billion) in damages when it flooded the Houston metropolitan area.

For this hurricane season, the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting service and Britain’s Met Office predict between five and nine storms of Category 3 or stronger.

Scientists have long warned that global warming will make cyclones more destructive, and some say the evidence for this may already be visible.

At their most fearsome, these low-pressure weather fronts pack more power than the energy released by the atomic bomb that levelled Hiroshima.

“EVERY FAMILY must be prepared. We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life,” Governor Scott added. </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> TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Michael roared down on the Florida Panhandle strengthening into a Category 4 hurricane early Wednesday before it crashes against the region's white-sand beaches, fishing villages and coastal communities later in the day.

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."

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.

At 2:00 a.m. Wednesday, the eye of Michael was about 180 miles (289 kilometers) south-southwest of Panama City, Florida. It also was about 170 miles (273 kilometers) southwest of Apalachicola, Florida. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (281 kilometers).

"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.

Lush reported from St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press writers Russ Bynum in Keaton Beach, Florida, Jay Reeves in Panama City Beach, Florida, Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina and Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Hurricane Michael strengthens to a "potentially catastrophic" Category 4 hurricane and makes landfall on the Florida Panhandle.