Hurricane Michael: Florida Governor Rick Scott ‘scared to death’ for residents as 155mph winds pummel Panhandle

A concern for many Florida cities, as it was during last year's Hurricane Irma, is coastal barriers being destroyed by waves and flooding. 

The city of Sarasota "tides washed away" sand bag barriers the city had put in place to protect from some flooding. 

The flooding has already begun in certain parts of the Florida panhandle coast, like Apalachicola, Florida, southwest of Tallahassee. 

Marco Rubio, the Senator from Florida said: "Every storm's different, but this storm is a monstrosity."

Noaa has said the storm is moving north at approximately 13 mph (21 kmh) and "water levels are rising quickly" along the coast of the panhandle. 

Hurricane Michael went from a tropical depression to a Category 4 storm in under 72 hours. 

This is the scene from Pensacola, Florida, just 100 miles (160 km) north of the eye of the hurricane. 

The hurricane is now just 50 miles from Panama City, Florida, and expected make landfall there first in just a few hours. 

The National Hurricane Center said the hurricane could get a bit stronger as it approaches land and reminded residents in the region, the storm is "not a point". 

Rain, flood, and wind warnings have been issued in various points in the path of the hurricane. 

Wind gusts have increased to 150 mph per the National Hurricane Center's storm chaser plane. 

Hurricane Michael is expected to cause "unimaginable devastation," according Florida Governor Rick Scott. 

The wind speed puts Hurricane Michael just 7 mph short of being a Category 5 hurricane. 

There has never even been a Category 4 storm to hit the panhandle of Florida and the only Category 5 storm to hit the state was Hurricane Andrew in 1992. 

Hurricane Camille hit Cuba, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana in 1962 and a similar unnamed storm made landfall in 1935. 

What does it mean for Michael to possibly become a Category 5 storm? 

Winds would have to reach 157 mph (253 kmh). The damage would likely be catastrophic, causing roof and wall collapse in a number of buildings. Trees and power lines will also likely be downed, possibly causing further infrastructure damage and maybe leaving residential areas simply uninhabitable. 

Hurricanes can be deadly, but they can also cause severe economic damage to the region in its path. 

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 caused approximately $25 billion in damage. It was the most expensive storm in US history until Hurricane Katrina which caused an astonishing $108 billion across Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi in 2004. It also ravaged parts of tourist hub New Orleans. 

Michael is expected to cause $30 billion in damage, according to a statement from forecaster Accuweather, adding: "The greatest impacts will be near and east of where the hurricane's eye makes landfall, and particularly along the coastline because of angry seas in a dangerous storm surge being driven inland by onshore winds."

However, that estimate has not been revised based on the increased wind speed. 

Michael will likely cause less damage than Florence did - which was approximately $60 billion - because it is moving faster and expected to be out to the ocean by this coming weekend, according to AccuWeather Founder and President Joel Myers told Fox Business.