Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Hurricane Michael

NHC's 4 pm CDT advisory:

000
WTNT34 KNHC 102054
TCPAT4

BULLETIN
Hurricane Michael Advisory Number  17
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL142018
400 PM CDT Wed Oct 10 2018

...EYE OF MICHAEL APPROACHING EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA AND
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...
...LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND CATASTROPHIC WINDS CONTINUE...


SUMMARY OF 400 PM CDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...30.9N 85.1W
ABOUT 30 MI...50 KM W OF BAINBRIDGE GEORGIA
ABOUT 70 MI...115 KM SW OF ALBANY GEORGIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH...205 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 25 DEGREES AT 16 MPH...26 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...932 MB...27.53 INCHES


WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Hurricane Warning west of the Okaloosa/Walton County Line has
been discontinued.

The Tropical Storm Warning along the west coast of Florida has been
discontinued south of the Suwanee River.

The Storm Surge Watch south of Anclote River has been discontinued.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...
* Okaloosa/Walton County Line Florida to Anclote River Florida

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
* Ocracoke Inlet North Carolina to Duck North Carolina

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Okaloosa/Walton County Line to Suwannee River Florida

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* North of Fernandina Beach Florida to Duck North Carolina
* Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening
inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline. For
a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather
Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at
hurricanes.gov.

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area.

A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-
threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the
coastline.

Interests elsewhere across the southeastern United States should
monitor the progress of Michael.

For storm information specific to your area, including possible
inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your
local National Weather Service forecast office.


DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Michael was
located near latitude 30.9 North, longitude 85.1 West. Michael is
moving toward the north-northeast near 16 mph (26 km/h). A turn
toward the northeast is expected this evening or tonight. A motion
toward the northeast at a faster forward speed is forecast on
Thursday through Friday night. On the forecast track, the core of
Michael will move across southeastern Alabama and southwestern
Georgia through this evening. Michael will then move northeastward
across the southeastern United States through Thursday, and
then move off the Mid-Atlantic coast away from the United States
on late Thursday night and Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph (205 km/h) with higher
gusts. Michael is a dangerous category 3 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Michael should weaken as it
crosses the southeastern United States through Thursday. Michael is
forecast to strengthen Thursday night and Friday when it moves off
the east coast of the United States and becomes a post-tropical
cyclone on Friday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles (65 km) from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles
(260 km).  A wind gust to 69 mph (111 km/h) was recently reported
at the airport in Tallahassee, Florida.  A sustained wind of 59 mph
(96 km/h) with a gust to 74 mph (118 km/h) was observed at a
University of Florida/Weatherflow observing site just north of St.
George Island, Florida.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 932 mb (27.53 inches).


HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
STORM SURGE:  Water levels are beginning to recede in some
locations, however, the combination of a dangerous storm surge
and the tide will continue to cause normally dry areas near the
coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the
shoreline. The water has the potential to reach the following
heights above ground if peak surge occurs at the time of high
tide...

Tyndall Air Force Base FL to Aucilla River FL...5-10 ft
Okaloosa/Walton County Line FL to Tyndall Air Force Base...3-5 ft
Aucilla River FL to Chassahowitzka FL...4-6 ft
Chassahowitzka to Anclote River FL...2-4 ft
Sound side of the North Carolina Outer Banks from Ocracoke Inlet to
Duck...2-4 ft

Water levels remain high along the coast of the Florida Panhandle. A
National Ocean Service water level station at Apalachicola recently
reported over 7 feet of inundation above ground level.

WIND:  Tropical storm and hurricane conditions are occurring over
portions of the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama, and
southwestern Georgia and will continue to spread inland over
south-central Georgia tonight.

With the eye of Michael moving inland, residents are reminded to not
venture out into the relative calm of the eye, as hazardous winds
will increase very quickly as the eye passes!

Tropical storm conditions are expected to spread northward within
the warning area along the southeast U.S. coast beginning tonight
through Friday.

Gale- to storm-force winds are expected over portions southeastern
Virginia, extreme northeastern North Carolina, and the Delmarva
Peninsula as Michael becomes post-tropical off the Mid-Atlantic
coast late Thursday night or Friday.

RAINFALL:  Michael is expected to produce the following rainfall
amounts through Friday...

Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, southeast Alabama, and portions of
southwest and central Georgia...4 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum
amounts of 12 inches. This rainfall could lead to life-threatening
flash floods.

The remainder of Georgia, the Carolinas, and into Virginia...3 to
6 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 8 inches. This rainfall
could lead to life-threatening flash floods.

Florida Peninsula, eastern Mid Atlantic, southern New England
coast...1 to 3 inches.

TORNADOES:  Isolated tornadoes are possible through tonight from
northern Florida into much of Georgia and southern South Carolina.

SURF:  Swells generated by Michael will affect the coasts of the
eastern, northern, and western Gulf of Mexico through Thursday
morning.  These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf
and rip current conditions.  Please consult products from your local
weather office.


NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
Next intermediate advisory at 700 PM CDT.
Next complete advisory at 1000 PM CDT.

$$
Forecaster Brown




Sustained winds of 125 make Michael a high Category 3 storm. That would be in the eyewall. I googled the location coordinates 30.9N 85.1W:

So right around there, not there but around there is where the 125 mph winds are.

The storm was just about out of Florida at 4 pm CDP/5 pm EDT, an hour and twenty minutes ago. It was moving 16 mph north-northeast so the eye is out of the state by now and is along the Alabama-Georgia line. Hurricane winds (74 mph-max 125 mph) extend out 40 miles.