Florida Governor Rick Scott has warned that Hurricane Michael is the "worst" storm to hit Florida "in a century" as he said the time for evacuation has gone and residents now need to prepare for it to hit as best they can.
The hurricane has strengthened to a Category 4 major storm as it closes in on and Alabama – and authorities are warning the “potentially catastrophic” cyclone may become more intense still before landfall later today.
By early afternoon local time, winds of 140mph and a life-threatening storm surge of up to 4m (13ft) are expected as the storm makes landfall. More than 2.1 million residents of at least 20 Florida counties were under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders. Much of this part of Florida is rural areas known for small tourist cities, beaches, wildlife reserves and Tallahassee, the state capital.
“Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive hurricane to hit the Florida Panhandle in a century,” Mr Scott said. Donald Trump has said that “we are very well prepared” for impact.
Florida Governor Rick Scott called Hurricane Michael potentially the "most destructive" storm the state has seen in 100 years.
"Living in the Gulf Coast can be dangerous...these things can happen," Mr Long noted.
As environmental news outlet Grist reported: "six of the seven most damaging hurricanes in US history have hit in the past 10 years" and the Trump administration as well as media reports have largely avoided mentioning climate change as a key component.
If the effects of climate change are continuously ignored, the Gulf Coast could be in store for more deadly hurricanes and flooding.
"Our priority is saving lives right now," Mr Long said, adding getting power lines back up and running and infrastructure clear and safe will be a priority.
"Power is going to be off for multiple weeks," he warned, adding Michael is "unprecedented.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) says flooding could get up to 9 to 18 feet (2.7 to 5.5 m).
Nine rivers which were affected by Florence are expected to experience more flooding, however the agency spokesperson said Michael will be moving back out to the ocean "by the weekend".
"This is the final call for anybody that needs to get out," Mr Long warned.
Those who try to last through "storm surge...don't typically live to tell about it," he said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) Administrator Brock Long said "any rain through North and South Carolina is not welcomed" as river beds have still not receded from Florence.
Yesterday, Donald Trump warned this storm would be "more intense" than Florence, which hit the region of Florida, North, and South Carolina just weeks ago.
Florence had been building up quickly to a Category 4 storm, but was ultimately downgraded to a tropical storm.
Still, it caused flooding and infrastructure damage throughout the Carolinas and closed several airports for days.
State and emergency management officials have warned residents in the panhandle of Florida it is not currently safe to travel on roads in the path of the storm.
Mr Scott said earlier this morning: “If you are in a coastal area do not leave your house".
A meteorologist from Mobile, Alabama, which was also in the path of the storm but may be spared from torrential rains, called it a "monster".
The National Hurricane Center, located in Miami, Florida, said "water levels are rising" and Michael is "potentially catastrophic".
The Okaloosa County Sheriff posted pictures of flooding already occurring in Lake Lorraine, Florida.
The county covers a region directly in the path of Hurricane Michael.
"There's nothing our state cannot recover from...Hurricane Michael cannot beat Florida," the governor said.
Mr Scott and his Democratic opponent Bill Nelson have suspended their campaigns for the US Senate in light of the storm.
"I can't say enough, listen to local officials," Mr Scott said, adding: "first responders cannot come out to save you" once the storm makes landfall.
"I don't want anything to happen to any family in this state."
Mr Scott said communities across the Florida panhandle will see "unimaginable devastation," adding that winds could be up to 145 mph and "storm surge" could result in 9-18 feet waves and flooding.
"Regarding power outages, "getting power back is absolutely critical to our response effort. It is a priority," Mr Scott said, perhaps addressing concerns after last year's Hurricane Maria left millions in Puerto Rico without power for several months.
Governor Rick Scott said at a news conference, Hurricane Michael will be the "worst storm Florida has seen in a century".
The storm is now a few hours of landfall, so this is Governor Scott's last plea for people to prepare.
Florida Governor Rick Scott is now talking about the response to the hurricane.
He says there are 3,500 members of the National Guard on alert.
He says there are 3,500 members of the National Guard on alert.
This is what the storm looks like this morning:
Time has run out for anyone wavering over whether or not to evacuate in the face of Hurricane Michael, officials have said.
"The time for evacuating along the coast has come and gone. First responders will not be able to come out in the middle of the storm," Florida governor Rick Scott tweeted early on Wednesday. "If you chose to stay in an evacuation zone, you must SEEK REFUGE IMMEDIATELY."
Apalachicola mayor Van Johnson said the city, which could suffer some of the worst of the storm surge, was under mandatory evacuation orders.
"My greatest concern is that some people are just now starting to take this storm seriously and are evacuating," he told CNN. "And I just hope the others that have not made that decision get out while the roads are still passably and before the bridges close."
In Panama City beach, according reports on the US TV programme Today, some 25,000 people have elected to weather the storm "on what is essentially a barrier island" like those battered by Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas last month.
Additional reporting by agencies
