At least two people are dead after Hurricane Michael caused devastation across the Florida Panhandle and neighbouring states.
Michael was the third most powerful storm to ever strike the US, with 155mph winds that tore apart homes, and huge waves and heavy rain that flooded neighbourhoods.
A man was killed when a tree fell on a house in Greensboro, Florida, and an 11-year-old girl died in Lake Seminole, Georgia, when a metal carport collapsed onto her family's caravan.
Michael made landfall as a catastrophic Category 4 storm, but its sustained winds were just 2mph shy of an extremely rare Category 5.
Now a tropical storm, Michael is churning through the south-eastern US and is expected to move into the Atlantic by early Friday.
It could slam into the UK at the weekend or early next week.
Have you been affected by the storm? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk.
South Carolina bearing brunt of Michael
South Carolina is now bearing the brunt of Michael, which has flooded neighbourhoods.
Heavy rain is falling in the state as the storm moves towards the north-east.
Forecasters have warned that the storm could spawn tornadoes.
What's next for Tropical Storm Michael?
Michael is moving across South Carolina, where the entire state is under a tropical storm warning, after hammering Florida and Georgia.
The storm will continue to churn towards the north-east across the Carolinas and Virginia before moving into the Atlantic by Friday morning.
It will then intensify and head towards Europe, where it could hit the UK early next week.
Reporter chases hat on live TV
A TV reporter chased after her hat while covering Tropical Storm Michael’s devastation in Georgia.
JoAnn Merrigan, a journalist for WSAV-TV based in Savannah, was live on air when her hat was blown off her head.
Michael battered Georgia overnight, killing an 11-year-old girl a day after making landfall in Florida.
Recovery work begins as storm moves on
Recovery work is set to begin in Florida as Michael drenches Georgia and the Carolinas.
People along the Florida Panhandle and along the storm’s path in Georgia are waking up to scenes of devastation.
More than 700,000 homes and businesses are without power in those states and neighbouring Alabama.
Firefighters rescue woman trapped in car
A woman became trapped inside her car as Michael battered Georgia overnight.
A large tree snapped and fell onto the vehicle, according to reports.
Firefighters cut her free and she was rushed to hospital.
Eerie video shot within eye wall
This eerie video was shot within Michael’s eye wall as it made landfall.
It shows the calm within the eye wall as the storm raged around.
The storm has killed at least two people and caused millions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses.
Donald Trump to visit disaster zone
US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Florida and Georgia early next week to see the devastation caused by Michael.
The visit will likely take place on Sunday or Monday once the recovery phase begins, it was reported.
Last month, Trump visited the Carolinas after they were hit by Hurricane Florence.
Michael spawns tornadoes as it moves inland
Strong winds, heavy rain and flooding aren’t the only threats as Michael moves inland across Georgia.
The killer storm has spawned tornadoes.
Tornado watches are in place for parts of Georgia and South Carolina.
Girl, 11, was killed by falling carport
New details are emerging about the 11-year-old girl who became the storm’s second victim.
She died when part of a metal carport crashed into her family’s caravan in Lake Seminole, Georgia, and struck her in the head, ABC News reports.
Travis Brooks, director of Seminole County’s Emergency Management Agency, says there is “complete and total devastation” after Michael hit.
Storm could slam into UK in days
The remnants of ex-hurricane Michael could slam into the UK at the weekend or early next week.
The latest projection shows the tropical storm taking a turn towards the north-east and churning through the mid-Atlantic.
It could hit southern parts of the UK as early as Sunday night.
Killer storm moving inland
Tropical Storm Michael is still hammering the south-eastern US as it moves through Georgia.
Heavy rain and flash flooding remain major threats, with forecasters warning that it is still a life-threatening storm as it moves north-east.
It was so strong that it has wiped out a number of weather reporting stations.
Child, 11, killed as storm batters Georgia
An 11-year-old child has died as Michael batters the state of Georgia.
The child died after something fell on a home in Seminole County, the local emergency management director, Travis Brooks, told CNN.
At least two people have been killed by the storm.
A man died when a tree fell on a home in Greensboro, Florida.
Severe flooding, structural building damage, uprooted trees and downed power lines as storm made landfall
Severe flooding, structural building damage, uprooted trees and downed power lines appeared widespread in coastal areas near where the storm made landfall.
A video posted on Twitter showed winds ripping apart a house on Mexico Beach, its debris washing up to adjacent properties. Governor Rick Scott said there was a “lot of roof damage” in the storm’s path.
Bill Manning, a 63-year-old grocery clerk, fled his camper van in Panama City for safer quarters in a hotel only to see the electricity there go out.
“My God, it’s scary. I didn’t expect all this,” he said.
Without power, the city was plunged into darkness at nightfall and its flooded streets were mostly silent and devoid of people or traffic.
Michael weakens to tropical storm after causing devastation across Florida
Michael, the fiercest storm to hit Florida in more than 80 years, has weakened into a tropical storm over central Georgia but damaging winds are still gusting inland, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday.
The tropical storm is located about 30 miles (45 km) south-southwest of Macon, Georgia with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (115 km per hour), the NHC said in its 12 am EDT position update.
“The centre of Michael is now moving into south-central Georgia. Tropical storm-force winds continue over central and southern Georgia, and are spreading across the coast of southeastern Georgia,” the Miami-based weather forecaster said.
Hurricane Michael to re-strengthen
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Michael is forecast to strengthen again on Thursday night and Friday when it moves off the east coast and becomes a post-tropical cyclone on Friday.
Warning for the Carolinas
The governors of North and South Carolina urged residents to brace for more heavy rain and tropical storm-force winds as Michael plows northward up the Atlantic seaboard.
The Carolinas are still reeling from severe flooding in the aftermath ofHurricane Florence less than a month ago.
Hurricane becomes Category 1 packing 90mph winds
Michael has been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it is expected to weaken further to a tropical storm by Thursday morning as it crosses the southeastern United States.
Michael is moving across southwestern Georgia with damaging winds across the central and eastern Panhandle of Florida as well as southwestern and south-central Georgia, with storm flooding still occurring along the Gulf Coast, the NHC said.
Michael, located about 20 miles southwest of Albany, Georgia and packing maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (150 km/h), is forecast to become post-tropical cyclone on Friday, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.
'My God, it’s scary'
Causing major disruptions to oil and gas production in the Gulf even before its arrival, the storm was forecast to unleash waves as high as 14 feet (4.3 meters) above normal sea levels in some areas, the National Hurricane Center said.
“My God, it’s scary. I didn’t expect all this,” said Bill Manning, 63, a grocery clerk who fled his camper van in Panama City for safer quarters in a hotel, only to see the electricity there go out. “Panama City, I don’t know if there will be much left.”
Hurricane Michael claims first life
A man has been killed by a falling tree, the first fatality of Hurricane Michael.
Florida Governor: 'Help is arriving from air, land and sea'
Florida Governor Rick Scott said he was deploying thousands to help with recovery, describing it as “ a massive wave of response” and saying help would be arriving “from air, land and sea.”
Michael downgraded to Category 3 but still packing winds of 125mph
Hurricane Michael roared into the state’s Gulf coast on Wednesday with tree-snapping winds and towering waves.
The fiercest storm to hit Florida in a quarter century made landfall early in the afternoon near Mexico Beach, about 20 miles southeast of Panama City in Florida’s Panhandle region, with top sustained winds reaching 155 miles per hour (249 kph).
The storm came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Its sustained winds were just 2 mph (3.2 kph) shy of an extremely rare Category 5.
As predicted, the storm was downgraded hours later to a still-formidable Category 3 with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and higher gusts as it pushed inland to the Alabama-Georgia border.
Sparsely-populated Mexico Beach suffers most
Hurricane Michael made landfall in Mexico Beach on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm.
It brought severe winds, rain and flooding to the state’s panhandle.
Mexico Beach, a somewhat sparsely populated town, is located on the Florida Panhandle between Panama City Beach and Port St. Joe.
This is what 98 looks like from my viewpoint inside Summer House On 23rd Street in Mexico Beach. This condo building we are in sustained very little damage. Can’t say the same for homes in the distance that were washed away. Such a sad scene. pic.twitter.com/pNIZV7rEsx
— Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) October 10, 2018
How Waffle House will help determine how bad Hurricane Michael is
One of the tools the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) informally uses to decide how bad a storm is is the status of the nearest Waffle House restaurant.
In the USA it’s a big deal when Waffle House closes its doors.
Given the southern locations of most Waffle House restaurants, they are vulnerable to hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding rains.
This so-called “Waffle House Index” was created by former FEMA administrator. Here’s how it works:
If Waffle House is open and serving its full menu, the index is green.
If the restaurant is open but only serving a limited menu, the index is yellow.
The index turns red when Waffle House is closed. FEMA noted it’s rare for the index to turn red because “Waffle House is well-prepared for disasters”.
Waffle Houses in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and Panama City Beach, Florida, were closed as of late Tuesday. However, restaurants in Gulf Breeze and Tallahassee, Florida, were open, and it was unclear if they were going to close at a later time.
Hurricane Michael's development 'jaw-dropping'
Meteorologists said the unexpected way Michael developed, its wind speeds increasing by 50% in one 24-hour period, had been “jaw-dropping”.
In Panama City, Diane Farris, 57, was among over 1,000 people crammed into a shelter designed for half as many.
She said: “I’m worried about my daughter and grandbaby. I don’t know where they are.”
There’s a lot of damage in Panama City, FL. #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/c3Ik4R3ZRs
— Jeff Gammons (@StormVisuals) October 10, 2018
Full story: Hurricane Michael devastates Florida as 'strongest storm in history' hits
Extremely powerful Hurricane Michael crashed into Florida’s northwestern Panhandle coast on Wednesday.
The huge storm system has been flooding towns and ripping up trees with 155mph (249 kph) winds and has the potential for a devastating storm surge.
Michael, which had caught many by surprise with its rapid intensification as it churned north over the Gulf of Mexico, was the most powerful storm ever recorded to hit the Panhandle, a thin stretch of land in upper Florida.
Read our full story on the damage so far here.
Panama City hospital damaged
Panama City Beach Mayor Mike Thomas said people may be underestimating the power of the storm surges, which could reach seven to 11 feet in some places.
Thomas told CNN he’s not ready to risk the lives of first responders in order to help those who chose to ride out Michael’s historic impact.
“It’s just not fair,” he said. “There is a false bravery, isn’t there, folks saying they will stick it out, ride this out. But what happens, I imagine, as you say, is it puts others at risk.”
Our hospital has sustained damage including windows blown out, cracking of an exterior wall, and roof damage. Our generators are working and our patients have been migrated to safe areas of the hospital. Our team is continuing to assess the damage. #HurricaneMichael #Michael
— Bay Medical Sacred Heart (@baymedicalctr) October 10, 2018
Mexico Beach suffers devastation
Mexico Beach, a small tourist town toward the centre of Florida’s panhandle, has suffered huge amounts of damage.
Michael brought 155+mph winds to the area, causing heavy blowing rain, powerful gusty winds, and crashing waves.
A Hurricane Warning is still in place in coastal Bay County, Florida. Officials warn residents to stay indoors as just 6 inches of moving water “can knock you down and fast-moving water can sweep your vehicle away.”
Governor requests a Major Disaster Declaration
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has requested that Pres. Trump issue a Major Disaster Declaration following Hurricane Michael’s landfall.
President Trump has just set off to a campaign rally.
He tweeted:
“Departing the White House for Erie, Pennsylvania. I cannot disappoint the thousands of people that are there - and the thousands that are going. I look forward to seeing everyone this evening.”
“Panama City, I don’t know if there will be much left.”
Extremely powerful Hurricane Michael crashed into Florida’s northwestern Panhandle coast on Wednesday, flooding towns and ripping up trees with 155mph (249 kph) winds and the potential for a devastating storm surge.
Michael, which had caught many by surprise with its rapid intensification as it churned north over the Gulf of Mexico, was the most powerful storm ever recorded to hit the Panhandle.
Complete destruction to the northeastern side of this bank in Panama City, FL. #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/d1eG2ymZVZ
— Jeff Gammons (@StormVisuals) October 10, 2018
The storm, which caused a major disruption for oil and gas production in the gulf, had the potential to drive sea water levels as high as 14 feet (4.3 meters) above normal in some areas, the National Hurricane Center said.
“My God, it’s scary. I didn’t expect all this,” said Bill Manning, 63, a grocery clerk who left his camper van in Panama City to move into a hotel where the power eventually went out.
“Panama City, I don’t know if there will be much left.”
Properties submerged and destroyed in Mexico Beach
Mexico Beach and Panama City are dealing with catastrophic and unthinkable damage as Hurricane Michael made landfall earlier this afternoon.
Mexico Beach is essentially under water, anything above is destroyed by Category 4/5 wind gusts.