The eye of hurricane Michael arrived on Wednesday, October 10, in the middle of the day, on the north-west coast of Florida, on the threshold of the category maximum of 5 with winds on average of 250 km/h. ” Michael intensifies while arriving on earth near Mexico Beach, city of Florida located on the gulf of Mexico, said the national hurricane Center (NHC) in its bulletin of 18 hours GMT (20 hours, French time). According to the u.s. Agency for oceanic and atmospheric, it has reached the coast at around 17: 30 GMT (19: 30, French time). Storm potentially “catastrophic,” according to the meteorologists, Michael should cause dangerous flooding, especially in coastal and dumping very heavy rainfall (up to 30 cm).

“hurricane Michael made landfall, and we continue to prepare our efforts for rapid response,” tweeted the governor of Florida Rick Scott. “We have trucks ready to go, loaded with tons of food, water, and other supplies crucial,” of which 1.5 million prepared meals. He had warned of a storm of ” lethal “. The hurricane was moving at 22 km/h, the speed could increase, and its winds of hurricane force were felt up to 75 miles from the eye. In the small coastal town of Panama City is located not far from Mexico Beach, residents have taken place in the shelters – 54 have been opened – up, laying on the ground and insulated by blankets, according to journalists of Agence France-Presse. Separate premises were pets in cages that are aligned with the shelter.

“doom”

Until the last moment, residents have barricaded their homes with sandbags, scanning the horizon on the beach still accessible Wednesday morning. Michael is then expected to weaken across the southeastern United States by Thursday, and then walking away in the direction of the Atlantic on Friday. In particular, it must pass in the evening over the south-east Alabama and south west Georgia. Tallahassee, capital of Florida, has turned into a ghost town. The situation is apocalyptic and strange “, with most stores closed, told Caitlin Staniec, 28 years. “Prepare for the arrival of this hurricane is exhausting mentally. “”This is rather bad for us,” confided Tuesday, Jonathan Row, a resident of Panama City.

The republican governor of Florida Rick Scott said Wednesday morning very “concerned” for the people who decided not to evacuate. Some 375 000 people, in over 20 Florida counties, have received the order or have been encouraged to evacuate, according to media reports. But, according to the sheriff of Franklin county, which is on the front lines to the east of Panama City, fifty people have decided to brave the powerful storm. The authorities had insisted all morning that it was now too late to move away from the coast. The governor advising the recalcitrant not to go out : “Do not find yourself in the middle of it all. You will survive not. It is a murderer. “

30 000 households without electricity

Michael “will be the most powerful storm in more than a hundred years” in some regions, have accused the emergency services of the State. Meteorologists predict a rise in the sea level up to 4.30 m in places. The NHC has reported a “rapid rise” along the coast, with more than 2.10 m above the level of high tide recorded in Apalachicola (Franklin county) just before the arrival of Michael on the coast. “We are very well prepared “, had assured on Tuesday the us president Donald Trump. The federal agency for emergency management (Fema) ” is ready, everybody is ready “. Wednesday, in the middle of the day, he said he would be onsite on Sunday or Monday. It has approved Tuesday the state of emergency declared the day before in 35 counties of Florida, which will allow you to unlock means additional materials, as well as federal funds in order to deal with the consequences of the hurricane.

the leaders of The neighbouring States of Alabama and Georgia, which should also be affected by Michael, have also declared a state of disaster. The State of North Carolina, touched in mid-September by hurricane Florence, which killed forty people and caused billions of dollars of damage, has been placed on alert. Brock Long, the boss of Fema, warned on CNN that the inhabitants of Florida and Georgia that they could expect to be without electricity for ” several weeks “. According to the emergency services of Florida, at 16 hours GMT (18 hours, French time), about 30 000 homes had already lost power.

On the same topic in tropical storm Michael becomes a hurricane