‘Extremely dangerous’ Michael nears Florida

Hurricane Michael closed in on Florida’s Gulf Coast yesterday as an “extremely dangerous” category four storm packing powerful winds and a huge sea surge, US forecasters said. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the storm, which local forecasters are calling an “unprecedented” weather event for the area, is expected to slam ashore later in the day with “life-threatening” storm surges. Top winds were swirling at 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour, with the NHC warning the storm could grow stronger still, as outer rain bands from the storm lashed the coast.

A storm surge of up to 14 feet (four meters) and up to a foot of rain was expected in some areas. “Water is going to come up, it’s going to cover your roof. You do not have a chance to survive that, so I’m very concerned,” Governor Rick Scott told Fox News. “It’s too late to evacuate now on the coast... Hunker down, and be careful, listen to locals. Don’t go out in the middle of this. You are not going to survive it. It’s deadly.”

An estimated 375,000 people in more than 20 counties were ordered or advised to evacuate. The National Weather Service office in the state capital Tallahassee issued a dramatic appeal for people to comply with evacuation orders. “Hurricane Michael is an unprecedented event and cannot be compared to any of our previous events. Do not risk your life, leave NOW if you were told to do so,” it said.