Hurricane Michael made a dramatic landfall Wednesday afternoon as a fiercer-than-expected Category 4 storm.
After landing near Mexico Beach and Panama City in Florida, Michael continued to move. The storm entered Georgia Wednesday, still a Category 2 hurricane. Its remnants continued up the coast, bringing a huge amount of rain and flooding to many states on the Eastern seaboard.
Michael was the most powerful storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle — with 155 mph winds and 9 to 14 feet of storm surge in some areas — and it shows. At least 14 people died as result of the storm, including a 11-year-old girl in Southwest Georgia who died when storm debris crashed into her home. Seven died when the remnants of the storm passed through Virginia — four of the deaths were due to flooding.
More than 800,000 customers across five states are without power. And many, many homes and business have been completely destroyed. We’ll know more about the total costs and toll of the storm in the coming days.
As measured by barometric pressure, Michael was one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in the US.
Local news reporters, storm chasers, photo journalists, and meteorologists are have been sharing images from the ground on what was left in Michael’s wake. It looks like a tornado hit some of these areas.
This is absolutely devastating stuff up in #Panama_City.
— CHRIS TORELLO (@TorelloSports) October 11, 2018
A middle school gym completely destroyed by #HurricaneMichael. @BN9 @SpecSports360 @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/94FEYVy2vx
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DESTRUCTION. More images of destruction from Mexico Beach, #Florida. #HurricaneMichael is now a Category 3 storm. (via Tessa Talarico) #Hurricane #Michael #Florida pic.twitter.com/Wkayw5RW7v
— Josh Benson (@WFLAJosh) October 10, 2018
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Widespread damage from Hurricane Michael in Panama City, FL. @AMHQ @wunderground @weatherchannel @JimCantore @StevePetyerak pic.twitter.com/8dqqSvRKad
— Charles Peek (@cpeek7) October 10, 2018
Unbelievable damage from #HurricaneMichael in Panama City pic.twitter.com/pMMn14i0Aa
— Stephen Jones (@Tornado_Steejo) October 10, 2018
Complete destruction to the northeastern side of this bank in Panama City, FL. #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/d1eG2ymZVZ
— Jeff Gammons (@StormVisuals) October 10, 2018
This is on the bayou in Destin. This was a backyard. #HurricaneMichael #fcnstorm @FCN2go pic.twitter.com/fjGWiuBvC2
— Heather Crawford (@HeatherFCN) October 10, 2018
Downtown Panama City proper got hit way harder than Panama City Beach. Not shocked as it was hit by the right eyewall. This is catastrophic damage here. @weathernetwork @StormhunterTWN #HurricaneMichael pic.twitter.com/Y7rUyHE7Wj
— Jaclyn Whittal (@jwhittalTWN) October 10, 2018
A few of the photos from Marianna, Fl. These were taken in the middle of eye. When it came through, it sounded like a loud freight train. Prayers for everyone involved with this storm. #HurricaneMichael eye #hurricanemichael pic.twitter.com/KpyrcfdpjW
— Christopher Pipkin ☈ (@MsuPipkin) October 10, 2018
Catastrophic storm surge in Mexico Beach, FL. Video: Tessa Talarco #Michael #flwx pic.twitter.com/DmfEZKC5AZ
— Tyler Eliasen FOX 13 (@FOX13Tyler) October 10, 2018
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