iStock/Thinkstock(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — Hurricane Michael has been upgraded to a Category 3 storm as it closes in on the Florida Panhandle.
Michael is forecast to make landfall as a “monstrous” Category 3 storm with a dangerous storm surge of up to 12 feet, officials said.
“You cannot hide from storm surge,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned at a news conference Tuesday. “We can rebuild your house, but we cannot rebuild your life.”
“If you have 6 feet of storm surge, you’re out the middle of it, I don’t know how you’re going to survive,” Scott said.
“This storm can kill you,” Scott said. “You need to evacuate if you’re ordered to do so.”
Michael was a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph as of late Tuesday afternoon.
The storm is forecast to make landfall near Panama City, Florida, as a strong Category 3 on Wednesday afternoon.
Conditions are expected to be began deteriorating around the Florida Panhandle Wednesday morning, with cities like Panama City and Apalachicola experiencing the worst of the hurricane between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.
By Thursday morning, the storm will move across Georgia and into South Carolina.
Besides the dangerous storm surge, residents should also prepare for torrential rain and major flooding, Scott said, with 4 to 8 inches of rain expected and even 12 inches possible in some areas.
Scott called the storm “monstrous,” adding, “We haven’t seen anything like this in the Panhandle in decades.”
A hurricane warning is in effect for Florida cities including Tallahassee, Panama City, Apalachicola and Pensacola.
Florida State University has closed through Friday and the Pensacola International Airport is set to close Wednesday.
At least 32 shelters have already opened in the Sunshine State, officials said.
In Carrabelle, Florida, resident Cole Lauzau said she is planning to try riding out the storm at home with her roommate and their dog.
They live across the street from a swamp, so Lauzau is bracing for water to rise up to their home.
For now, Lauzau is trying to plan ahead, making sure they have enough water, food and sandbags.
“We’re a little nervous,” she told ABC News. “If we can possibly ride it out safely, we’re going to try it. And if it gets much worse … we will go.”
Warnings are in effect for more than 300 miles of coastline, the National Weather Service said.
In Georgia, which will be hit by damaging winds and downed power lines, Gov. Nathan Deal on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for 92 of his state’s counties.
Scott has declared a state of emergency in 35 counties in Florida. President Donald Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Florida, permitting the federal government to provide resources and aid during the dangerous storm.
In Alabama, where residents may see massive power outages, high winds and heavy rain, Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency statewide.
North Carolina and South Carolina will likely see heavy rainfall, which could cause flooding in areas already damaged by last month’s Hurricane Florence.
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