With potentially catastrophic winds of 250 km/h, the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in nearly 50 years has slammed into the Florida Panhandle.
Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida and is ”going to stay a hurricane for a while,” said the director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
The National Weather Service also says tornadoes are possible across the Panhandle, southeast Georgia and South Carolina through Thursday morning as the Category 4 storm moves inland.
Based on its barometric pressure, Michael’s the most powerful hurricane to come ashore since Camille in 1969.
Based on wind speed, it was the fourth-strongest behind Andrew 1992, Camille and the biggest one of all, an unnamed 1935 Labour Day storm that had winds of 296 km/h.