Hurricane Michael Devastating the Florida Panhandle This Afternoon, Landfall Near Davis Beach, 145 MPH Winds...

The strongest storm to hit the Florida Panhandle will move ashore over the next few hours.  The eye will cross near Apalachicola in the next hour.  Winds are 145 mph with gusts to 175 mph. The worst storm surge is expected today and tonight from Tyndall Air Force Base to Keaton Beach, an inundation of 9 to 14 feet is expected. From the National Hurricane Center:


BULLETIN Hurricane Michael Advisory Number 16 

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 1000 AM CDT 

Wed Oct 10 2018 

CORE OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE MICHAEL 

CLOSING IN ON THE COAST OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...

LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE...HURRICANE FORCE 

WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINFALL IMMINENT... 

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION 

LOCATION...29.4N 86.0W ABOUT 60 MI...95 KM SSW OF 

PANAMA CITY FLORIDA ABOUT 65 MI...100 KM WSW OF 

APALACHICOLA FLORIDA 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH...

PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 15 DEGREES AT 14 MPH.

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...928 MB...27.41 INCHES

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 1000 AM CDT Wed Oct 10 2018

Michael is an extremely impressive hurricane in visible and infrared satellite imagery this morning. The eye has continued to warm and of very cold cloud tops. Data from NOAA and U.S. Air Force Hurricane become even more distinct, while remaining embedded within an area Hunter aircraft indicate that the pressure has continued to fall hurricane only has a few hours left over water during which this morning and is now around 928 mb. Flight-level, SFMR, and NWS WSR-88D Doppler wind data all support an intensity of 125 kt. The additional intensification is possible. Recent radar imagery is predicted once the hurricane moves inland, the core of Michael suggest that an outer eyewall may be trying to form, and this could slow or halt the intensification process. Although steady weakening will bring hurricane-force winds well inland over the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama, and southwest Georgia. As the powerful extratropical cyclone over the north Atlantic through at circulation emerges over the western Atlantic, intensification due to baroclinic process is expected, and Michael should complete its transition to an extratropical low by 48 hours when it is off the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast. The system is predicted to remain a least day 4.

The storm is expected to produce heavy rains across the Carolinas over the next 24-36 hours. Some of the moisture will move into New Jersey and the NYC metropolitan area.   

George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist for Wright Weather Consulting, LLC. Visit our website at WrightWeather.com. Follow George Wright on Twitter @gwweather.