Hurricane Michael: Florida Governor Rick Scott ‘scared to death’ for residents as 155mph winds pummel Panhandle
Evacuation window closes as Michael approaches Category 5 wind speeds
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Hurricane Michael has hit the coast of Florida, bringing 155mph winds and a life-threatening storm surge of up to 13ft (4m).
The hurricane strengthened to a Category 4 storm, with wind speeds almost pushing the top-level Category 5 – with authorities warning that the “potentially catastrophic” cyclone will cause major damage.
“Our biggest concern is … the people that chose not to evacuate,” Mr Scott told CNN. Earlier, the governor warned of “unimaginable devastation” before the storm hit land.
“Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive hurricane to hit the Florida Panhandle in a century,” Mr Scott said. Donald Trump has said that “we are very well prepared” for impact.
Follow our liveblog below bringing you all the latest on Hurricane Michael.
Additional reporting by agencies
As is normal during hurricanes, airports in the storm's path are experiencing delays.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, Tampa Bay airports are experiencing several delays and cancelled flights.
According to flight tracker FlightAware 150 flights have been cancelled for today from those airports, with 20 more cancelled tomorrow as a precaution. That number is likely to go up as the storm moves onto land and the path becomes more clear.
The Panama City, Florida, airport - where Hurricane Michael is expected to make landfall first - is closed today and likely tomorrow.
President Donald Trump said he will probably travel to the area hit by the hurricane on Sunday or Monday.
Mr Trump said "North Carolina, South Carolina, they're going to get a lot of water...nothing like they did two weeks ago" during Florence, adding he's "worried".
Mr Trump just met with Fema Administrator Brock Long and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in the Oval office to discuss storm preparations.
"It's like a big tornado, a massive tornado," Mr Trump said, who noted he had a "long talk" with the pair.
Mr Trump said he is "probably" still attending a scheduled a political rally in Pennsylvania tonight.
The president said about the Florida panhandle: "Some of the areas are very poor," which makes it "very difficult for people without the necessary resources to leave."
Mr Long noted it was too late for many residents along the coast to evacuate due to high winds and road conditions.
Mr Trump noted the storm started "innocently" and intensified into "a monster".
Michael grew from a tropical depression into a Category 4 hurricane in less than 72 hours.
The National Hurricane Center tweeted the "eyewall" of the storm is "coming ashore along the coast of the Florida Panhandle between St Vincent Island and Panama City. Do not venture out into the eye when it passes!"
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said Michael is "unlike any storm that we have had in anybody's memory."
The state's peanut, pecan, and cotton crops could be devastated by the hurricane, potentially costing hundreds of millions in damage.
Mr Long said it is not just Florida panhandle residents who need to be cautious. "The citizens in Georgia need to wake up and pay attention," he said after a meeting with Mr Trump.
"A hurricane of the worst kind," is how Mr Long described Michael.
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