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
Yesterday, Donald Trump warned this storm would be "more intense" than Florence, which hit the region of Florida, North, and South Carolina just weeks ago.
Florence had been building up quickly to a Category 4 storm, but was ultimately downgraded to a tropical storm.
Still, it caused flooding and infrastructure damage throughout the Carolinas and closed several airports for days.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) Administrator Brock Long said "any rain through North and South Carolina is not welcomed" as river beds have still not receded from Florence.
"This is the final call for anybody that needs to get out," Mr Long warned.
Those who try to last through "storm surge...don't typically live to tell about it," he said.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) says flooding could get up to 9 to 18 feet (2.7 to 5.5 m).
Nine rivers which were affected by Florence are expected to experience more flooding, however the agency spokesperson said Michael will be moving back out to the ocean "by the weekend".
"Our priority is saving lives right now," Mr Long said, adding getting power lines back up and running and infrastructure clear and safe will be a priority.
"Power is going to be off for multiple weeks," he warned, adding Michael is "unprecedented.
"Living in the Gulf Coast can be dangerous...these things can happen," Mr Long noted.
As environmental news outlet Grist reported: "six of the seven most damaging hurricanes in US history have hit in the past 10 years" and the Trump administration as well as media reports have largely avoided mentioning climate change as a key component.
If the effects of climate change are continuously ignored, the Gulf Coast could be in store for more deadly hurricanes and flooding.
Here are the latest details on the hurricane, provided by the National Weather Service.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced it will stop deportation operations in the area affected by the hurricane, as they have for previous natural disasters.
Spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Secretary Katie Waldman said: "Our highest priority remains the preservation of life and safety. In consideration of these circumstances, there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to Michael, except in the event of a serious public safety threat."
Andrew Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee and Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, said "folks are ready from the government side, but we need our citizens to also be ready" for Hurricane Michael.
He urged residents in the path of the storm to "find a safe place to go".
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