Vice President Mike Pence meets employees at Flint River Mills in Bainbridge on Tuesday, October 16, 2018. Vice President Mike Pence touched down in this Southwest Georgia city Tuesday and addressed the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition in Moultrie as he surveyed storm damage from Hurricane Michael.

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The Vice-President’s visit comes a day after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump traveled through the Florida Panhandle and central part of Georgia to met with residents, farmers and recovery workers.
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Media reporting has only scratched the surface on the devastation. Collaborative FEMA and National Guard assessments are ongoing. Pray for the missing; there are hundreds missing.

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The parallels between Homestead after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Mexico Beach after Hurricane Michael are stunning.  There are remarkable similarities including the first 48 hours of media incomprehension due to their inability to gain access.

For those who might not remember, immediately following hurricane Andrew (’92) no-one initially realized the scale of devastation in/around Homestead, FL, because all eyes were focused on the more well-known Miami area.  It took a few days for people to fathom where the real devastation took place.  Homestead was almost entirely obliterated.
Fast forward 26 years and the exact same scenario exists near Mexico Beach, FL.  The difference between Michael and Andrew is the width of the devastation.  Andrew was a much wider storm than Michael; but the aftermath is eerily similar.  Seriously, it’s PTSD flashback central…. stunningly so.
Just like the area around Homestead AFB ’92, the area around Tyndall AFB in 2018 is identical. Complete devastation.  Amazing. I mean the comparisons are spookily similar, right down to the displayed fighter jets being torn from their concrete pedestals.
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Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, FL, as a strong 155 mph hurricane.  The storm is now entering the southeast Georgia area while retaining quite a bit of energy.  The 5:00pm EST advisory: 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.

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. (read more)
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Hurricane Michael has made landfall east of Panama City Beach in an area called Mexico Beach.  The well defined eye-wall hits the coast as an extremely strong category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 MPH.  [Cat5 is 157mph]  The area near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base is taking a direct hit. Wind gauges near the AFB recorded wind speeds of 130mph prior to equipment failure.
All small residential structures on/near the Mexico Beach impact zone are suffering complete structural failure. Larger steel reinforced concrete buildings are under extreme pressure.

[Hurricane Center] At 100 PM CDT (1800 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Michael was located near latitude 30.0 North, longitude 85.5 West. Michael is moving toward the north-northeast near 14 mph (22 km/h). Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 155 mph (250 km/h) with higher gusts
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As a very powerful hurricane Michael approached the Florida panhandle President Trump, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and FEMA Director Brock Long brief the president on current storm response and recovery status.

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Unfortunately the predictions of continued strengthening have proved accurate. Hurricane Michael now holds sustained winds over 130 MPH with additional strengthening likely prior to landfall later today. This makes Michael a Category-4 hurricane; the strongest to hit the Florida panhandle in history.  It looks like Panama City Beach is in the bulls-eye.

[National Hurricane Center] At 100 AM CDT (0600 UTC), the center of Hurricane Michael was located near latitude 27.7 North, longitude 86.6 West. Michael is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h). A northward motion is expected this morning, followed by a northeastward motion later today and Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Michael will move across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico this morning.
The center of Michael’s eye is then expected to move inland over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area later today, move northeastward across the southeastern United States tonight and Thursday, and then move off the Mid-Atlantic coast away from the United States on Friday.
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Folks, Hurricane Michael is very serious.  Everyone in the Florida coastal communities of the panhandle and Alabama coast need to take this approaching storm very seriously.  Currently a category-3 storm with winds exceeding 120mph, there is a very real possibility of the storm gaining additional strength before landfall; current forecasts now predict a category-4 storm potential.

#HurricaneMichael will be the strongest storm to impact portions of Florida in more than 100 years. DO NOT IGNORE #EVACUATION ORDERS #alert

— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) October 9, 2018

[Hurricane Center] At 700 PM CDT (0000 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Michael was located near latitude 26.6 North, longitude 86.5 West. Michael is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h). A northward motion is expected through tonight, followed by a northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico through tonight.
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As expected Hurricane Michael continues to strengthen while traveling through the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane mid-day tomorrow.  Everyone in the impact zone should rush final preparations to completion and heed the advice and warnings from local officials.
[Hurricane Center] At 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Michael was located near latitude 25.0 North, longitude 86.2 West. Michael is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h). A northward motion is expected through tonight, followed by a northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico through tonight.

The center of Michael is then expected to move inland over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area on Wednesday, and then move northeastward across the southeastern United States Wednesday night and Thursday, and move off the Mid-Atlantic coast away from the United States by Friday.
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As anticipate Hurricane Michael is showing signs of continued strength with each update. Current wind speed 85mph. Rapid intensification is predicted. Current forecast is for a Category 3 (115+ mph) storm at landfall.  If you are in the path you do not have much time to prepare. This storm is gaining forward speed as it strengthens.
[Hurricane Center] At 700 PM CDT (0000 UTC), the center of the eye of Hurricane Michael was located by a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 22.7 North, longitude 85.2 West. Michael is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h). A northward to north-northwestward motion at a slightly faster forward speed is expected through Tuesday night, followed by a northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the forecast track, the center of Michael will move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico tonight, then move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday and Tuesday night. The center of Michael is expected to move inland over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area on Wednesday, and then move northeastward across the southeastern United States Wednesday night and Thursday.
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