Tens of thousands of people in Florida were warned today to get out of harm's way as Hurricane Michael churned over the Gulf of Mexico towards the northwestern part of the state, bringing fierce winds, torrential rain and life-threatening coastal floods.
The storm has been upgraded to Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, the National Hurricane Center has said.
Authorities told residents and tourists in at least 20 Florida counties to evacuate coastal areas along the 322km-long Panhandle and adjacent Big Bend region.
At that strength, it would rank as the most powerful storm to strike the Panhandle in more than a decade.
Michael was located about 435km south-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 195km per hour, the Miami-based forecaster said.
The centre of Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico through Tuesday night, the NHC said.
"Michael is forecast to be a major hurricane at landfall in Florida."
"Hurricane Michael is a monster storm and it keeps getting more dangerous," Florida Governor Rick Scott told a news conference today. "The time to prepare is now."
I can not emphasize enough. Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the FL panhandle in decades. It will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous. You cannot hide from this storm. You can rebuild your home, you cannot rebuild your life.
— Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) October 9, 2018
The Republican governor, who is campaigning for a US Senate seat in the November congressional elections, warned of the potential for a deadly storm surge that could be as much as 3.7 metres above normal sea water levels.
People in areas that could be affected should take no chances against such a powerful surge, Mr Scott said, adding, "No-one's going to survive," such a wall of water.
As Michael moved over open water, energy companies halted nearly one-fifth of Gulf of Mexico oil production and evacuated personnel from 10 platforms yesterday.
Mr Scott declared a state of emergency in 35 counties along the Panhandle and Florida's Big Bend regions, mostly rural areas known for small tourist cities, beaches and wildlife reserves, and the state capital, Tallahassee.
A hurricane warning was in effect for a more than 480km stretch of coastline from the Florida-Alabama border to the Suwannee River in Florida.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency had numerous teams deployed and ready to respond, said FEMA spokesman Jeff Byard. About 1,250 National Guard soldiers were assisting and more than 4,000 troops were on standby.
US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said the country was very well prepared for the hurricane, adding it was much bigger than had been expected.
