Hurricane Michael Pummels Florida
Hurricane Michael, the fiercest storm to hit Florida in living memory and the 3rd-most powerful ever to strike the U.S. mainland, unleashed roof-shredding winds, towering surf and torrential rains. Michael, which rapidly intensified as it churned north over the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall near Mexico Beach, about 32 km southeast of Panama City in Florida’s Panhandle region, with top sustained winds reaching 250 kph. The storm is a Category 4 hurricane on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Severe flooding, structural damage, uprooted trees and downed power lines were widespread in areas where the storm made landfall. 500,000 residents were ordered to evacuate. 13 people have been killed so far.
