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Michael is expected to move inland, hitting the Florida Panhandle or Big Bend on Wednesday. Trees will be snapped or uprooted, well-built framed houses can be damaged, and electricity and water may be unavailable for days or weeks. During a Category 3 hurricane, the storm will have sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour and "devastating damage" is expected. It is expected to then move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico from Monday evening until Wednesday, reaching major hurricane strength Tuesday night.Ī hurricane is considered a major hurricane if it is a Category 3 or higher, according to the NHC. It is moving north at about 7 miles per hour and is expected to work its way Monday across the Yucatán Channel connecting the Yucatán Basin in the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. Michael began as a disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean and became a tropical storm over the weekend. In western Cuba, Michael could bring 4 to 8 inches of rain, with up to 12 inches in certain isolated areas, which could lead to life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm hitting the state. Tropical Storm Michael is expected to turn into a hurricane on Monday before becoming a major hurricane Tuesday night. A tropical storm warning was also in place for Isle of Youth in Cuba and from Tulum to Cabo Catoche along the coast of Mexico.Ī hurricane warning, as described by the NHC, means that hurricane conditions are expected within the next 12 hours and preparations to protect life and property need to be completed immediately. Ahead of Michael possibly becoming a hurricane, the government of Cuba issued a hurricane warning for Pinar del Río. The storm is located about 90 miles from Cozumel, Mexico, and about 100 miles from the western tip of Cuba. For a storm to be classified as a hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, it must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour. Tropical Storm Michael had maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour as of Monday morning but was expected to become a hurricane later in the day. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced Monday that the tropical storm had almost reached hurricane strength and could even be at or near major hurricane strength by Tuesday night, when it is expected to approach northwestern Florida. Storm surges from the storm were expected to pose life-threatening dangers to residents.įlorida could be facing a major hurricane this week, as Tropical Storm Michael is expected to gain strength and hit the Sunshine State. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane.Ĭontinued strengthening is expected and heavy rainfall and strong winds were already spreading across western Cuba. EDT-The National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced in an advisory that Tropical Storm Michael became a hurricane shortly before 11:00 a.m.