Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend area as a Category 4 storm Wednesday, bringing destruction and flooding along the coast.
Oct. 10 (UPI) — A falling tree crashed through a Gadsden County, Fla., house Wednesday, killing one man as Hurricane Michael brought destruction and flooding to Florida, local officials said.
The Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the death to CNN and WTVY-TV in Dothan, Ala.
Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend area as a Category 4 storm Wednesday, bringing destruction and flooding along the coast.
More than 375,000 residents along the Gulf Coast in 22 counties were urged or ordered to evacuate but Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long said some residents weren’t able to make it out of the area before declining conditions made it impossible for them to leave, NBC News reported .
« If you failed to heed a warning for any reason, your goal should be to elevate as high as you can and get into a facility that you think can withstand the winds at this point and hope for the best, » Long said. « Those who stick around to experience storm surge don’t typically live to tell about it, unfortunately. »
Some who stayed behind called for help as bridges were closed long St. George Island, but were told crews would not be able to reach them, the National Weather Service said.
About 310,942 customers in the state were without power as of Wednesday evening, according to PowerOutage.us. Another 92,000 in Georgia and 49,900 in Alabama also were without power.
First responders in Bay County were no longer able to respond to emergencies as of Wednesday morning and Florida Highway Patrol pulled troopers away from coastal areas, saying it was too dangerous for them to remain.
President Donald Trump issued a state of emergency Wednesday to free up resources for storm and emergency response and Gov. Rick Scott said more than 3,500 Florida National Guard members were activated for storm response.
Parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and the Carolinas are also expected to be hit by the storm as torrential rains, destructive winds and possible tornadoes could extend to areas inland.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 108 counties and North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper also issued a state of emergency before the storm.
