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:
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.
