Florida has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Tropical Storm Michael which is due to hit the US coast next week. The cyclone has already affected some of the campaign trails of the 2018 midterm election hopefuls.

On Sunday, Republican Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 26 counties in the Florida Panhandle and in Big Bend, ahead of Tropical Storm Michael, which is now making its way through the Gulf of Mexico. Fearing that the natural calamity could become a Category 2 hurricane with winds up to 100 mph by the time it makes landfall next Wednesday, Scott has mobilized some 500 National Guard troops to assist with planning and logistics. An additional 5,500 guard members could be available for deployment if needed.

“Our state understands how serious tropical weather is and how devastating any hurricane or tropical storm can be,” Scott said. “As we continue to monitor this storm’s northward path toward Florida, it is critically important that our communities have every available resource to keep everyone safe and prepared.”

As of Sunday evening, Storm Michael, packing winds of 60 mph, was moving north at 5 mph just east of Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center reported. Wind speeds are expected to gain momentum over the next two days with the cyclone expected to "become a hurricane Monday night or Tuesday,” the center noted in its advisory.

America's next top villain: Is China lined up to replace Russia as the US' default enemy?

The Democratic nominee for governor, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, was forced to cancel his planned campaign stops in South Florida on Monday and Tuesday, deciding to stay in the city instead to help with storm preparations. GOP nominee Ron DeSantis, who hopes to replace term-limited Gov. Scott, has yet to follow suit but did announce that he will be "redirecting" Panhandle campaign staff to help "prepare their communities ahead of the storm."

Gov. Scott, who will be running for a Senate seat, also suspended his campaign activity for the "next few days," his spokesperson told CNN. His Democratic rival, Sen. Bill Nelson has not yet announced any alteration to his campaign plans.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!</s>Millions of people could be in the path of another big storm. A hurricane watch has been posted for Florida’s Panhandle and Big Bend regions as Tropical Storm Michael churns midway between Cozumel, Mexico and the western tip of Cuba with top winds up to 70 miles an hour. Michael is expected to move into the eastern Gulf of Mexico this evening and is forecast to be near or at major hurricane strength when it reaches the northeastern Gulf tomorrow night and Wednesday.</s>ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday warned that a tropical storm headed for the Florida Panhandle could become a Category 2 hurricane with winds up to 100 miles per hour by the time it makes landfall at midweek.

Scott issued an order for a state of emergency for 26 counties in the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend area. The declaration will free up resources for storm preparation.

"This storm will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous," Scott said after receiving a briefing at the State Emergency Operations Center.

The governor warned that storm surge could affect areas of Florida not in the storm's direct path.

"If this storm hit Panama City, Tampa could still have storm surge," said Scott, referring to two Florida cities about 375 miles (600 kilometres) apart by highway. "Every family must be prepared."

Scott also activated 500 members of the Florida National Guard ahead of the storm.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center on Sunday upgraded Tropical Depression Michael to a named tropical storm, saying Michael earlier had winds of up to 50 mph (85 kph). But within a few hours it gained more strength and by Sunday evening, it had top sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).

The storm is expected to further strengthen into a hurricane by Monday night or Tuesday as its centre moves over the Yucatan Channel, crosses the Gulf of Mexico and nears the Florida Panhandle coast sometime Wednesday.

Forecasters advised residents along the northeastern and central U.S. Gulf Coast to monitor the storm's progress.

The north Florida city of Tallahassee on Sunday opened two locations where residents could get sandbags in case of flooding.

"While the impacts are still uncertain, our area could experience increased wind activity and heavy rainfall, which could cause localized flooding and downed trees," Tallahassee officials said in a statement.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is the Democratic nominee for governor, had planned to campaign in South Florida Monday and Tuesday, but he said he would return to Tallahassee to help with storm preparations.

The city of Pensacola tweeted to residents, "Be sure you have your emergency plan in place."

The storm was located by 7 p.m. ET Sunday about 105 miles (170 kilometres) east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico and moving to the north at about 5 mph (7 kph). Tropical storm winds extended out 170 miles (275 kilometres), primarily to the northeast and southeast of the storm's centre.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio and the Isle of Youth as well as the coast of Mexico from Tulum to Cabo Catoche. A warning indicates tropical storm conditions are expected, in this case, within 24 hours.

The hurricane centre warned that the storm could produce a foot (30 centimetres) of rain in western Cuba, potentially triggering flash floods and mudslides in mountainous areas. The rains in Cuba's west were expected to begin Sunday night and continue Monday.

An Air Force hurricane hunter airplane was sent into the storm to investigate, the hurricane centre said.

Michael is the 13th named storm of the 2018 hurricane season, according to hurricane centre spokesman Dennis Feltgen.</s>Hurricane Michael continues to show signs of improved organization and strengthening. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center Tuesday morning put the winds at 100 mph. You can see overall a lot more symmetry and structure with the storm as well as a small eye trying to form.

Overall the same thoughts as yesterday still remain. Michael will be in an area that will allow it to strengthen more before landfall. It will continue to move north before turning northeast.

The forecast still calls for a major hurricane at landfall with winds around 120 mph. Landfall is expected along the Florida panhandle near Panama City to Apalachicola. Significant storm surge will be the main threat along with damaging winds. Heavy rain will lead to flash flooding although the storm will move very quickly northeast which should less rainfall amounts a little bit.

Overall for our area in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi we will continue to see fringe impacts. Minor coastal flooding will continue through Tuesday night before ending Wednesday. Tropical showers and downpours will be moving through the area through Tuesday as well.

Offshore winds will be stronger and could approach tropical storm strength. Dangerous conditions will be in the offshore waters and boating is not recommended.

As always stay with WGNO on air and online for the latest on Michael.</s>(CNN) — Hurricane Michael, which is poised to slam Florida’s Panhandle, has strengthened into a now a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Maximum sustained winds increased to 120 mph, with gusts to 150 mph on Tuesday afternoon. Michael is expected to strengthen even more as it continues to head toward the Gulf Coast.

Michael, which is spinning the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle still a Category 3 storm. It is threatening dangerous storm surges to low-lying areas ill-equipped to handle them. Officials are urging people to get out of the way now.

Gov. Rick Scott called Michael a “monstrous storm” that could bring “total devastation” in and around the Panhandle area.

“Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades,” Scott said.

“You cannot hide from storm surge, so … get out if an evacuation is ordered,” he said.

Winds of tropical storm force will be felt in the area starting early Wednesday, and mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders already have been issued in at least 22 counties on the Florida Gulf Coast.

About 3.7 million people were under hurricane warnings in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions, as well as parts of southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia. Tropical storm warnings cover a further 3.1 million people in the three states.

Michael’s core, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, was about 335 miles south of Panama City, Florida, as of 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds were outward up to 185 miles.

The main threats

 The storm’s center and where it makes landfall with its destructive winds represent just one of several concerns. Among them:
• Storm surges could slam the coasts of the Florida Panhandle, Big Bend and Nature Coast, the National Hurricane Center said. The deadliest storm surge of possibly 9 to 13 feet is expected between Mexico Beach an Keaton Beach. “That means the water will come miles in shore and could easily be over the roofs of houses,” Scott said.
• Heavy rain and flooding are expected not just for Florida but also for other parts of the Southeast. Up to 12 inches of rain could fall in Florida’s Panhandle and Big Bend, southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia, while parts of the Carolinas — recently deluged by Hurricane Florence — and southern Virginia eventually could see up to 6 inches, the hurricane center said.
• Tornadoes could spawn in the Southeast on Tuesday night into Thursday, forecasters said.
• Damaging winds are expected to rake not just Florida but also southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia. If Michael’s core comes ashore as a Category 2 or higher, it would be the strongest storm in terms of wind speed to make landfall in the country this year.

“You will see damage to infrastructure. You will see power outages,” said Jeff Byard, associate administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Response and Recovery.

‘We need the residents to be leaving today’

 A hurricane warning is in place from the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwannee River in Florida.

Meanwhile, tropical storm warnings extend from Florida’s Chassahowitzka River to the Mississippi-Alabama border. Tropical storm watches are in effect in some coastal areas of Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Storm surge warnings are also in place along the Florida and Alabama coasts.

“This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions,” the hurricane center said.

US Rep. Neal Dunn, whose district includes Panama City, urged people under evacuation orders to get out before tropical-storm-force winds arrived. He focused on islands off the coast whose bridges may close as the storm approaches.

“You haven’t got anywhere to go (if the bridges close),” he said Tuesday morning. “And then you’re riding it out in your car instead of something else. So we need the residents to be leaving today … because by this evening, those bridges are going to be in peril of being closed.”

Scott extended a state of emergency to 35 counties and activated 2,500 National Guardsmen for hurricane duty. He said tolls were being suspended in the state’s northwest region to ease the evacuation process, and the Florida Highway Patrol is sending nearly 350 state troopers to the Panhandle and Big Bend areas.

A couple move up their beachside wedding

 The hurricane forced Benny and Cindy Guinn to get married a day earlier.

The couple was supposed to get hitched Wednesday in Florida’s Panama City Beach, but Michael’s approach forced mandatory evacuations there.

“We (first) bumped it up to Tuesday night … and then we bumped it up to Tuesday morning,” Cindy Guinn said.

With an officiant standing in front of them, the couple said their vows on the beach as brisk winds brushed them.

Elsewhere at Panama City Beach, many businesses were closed and homes were boarded up.

Cars were in long lines at one of the town’s gas stations Tuesday.

“Since 6 a.m. it’s been backed up. We’re just now running out of regular (gas),” worker Danny Hess told CNN affiliate WJHG.

Georgia, Alabama prepare for damage

 In Georgia, Gov. Nathan Deal declared an emergency for 92 counties.

In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide state of emergency, saying on Twitter that it was “in anticipation of wide-spread power outages, wind damage and debris produced by high winds & heavy rain associated with #HurricaneMichael.”

The governor’s declaration activates the state’s emergency operations plan, according to Ivey’s office.

Deaths in Central America

 Michael has been lashing western Cuba as it churned toward the United States. Up to 12 inches could fall there, threatening flash floods and mudslides, the hurricane center said Tuesday.

Over the weekend, flooding related to Michael led to at least 13 deaths in the Central American countries of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, according to officials.</s>"From operator reports, it is estimated that approximately 39.5 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in," the release stated. "It is also estimated that approximately 28.4 percent of the natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in."

In addition, personnel have been evacuated from three rigs and another eight rigs have been moved out of the storm’s path, the release said.

Production platforms are the structures located offshore that remain at the same location throughout a project’s duration, as opposed to drilling rigs that move from location to location, according to the release.

READ MORE: Alabama Declares State of Emergency as Hurricane Michael Targets US Coast

After the hurricane has passed, facilities will be inspected for damage and immediately brought back on line if no damage is observed, the release noted.

Hurricane Michael is expected to make landfall as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, the strongest storm to hit the panhandle of Western Florida in 13 years, according to the latest forecasts.</s>Hurricane Michael is on its way.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Michael was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning.

The NHC expects the storm to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday before driving into the southeastern states that night into Thursday.

The hurricane now has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with gusts up to 90 mph and was about 80 miles from the western tip of Cuba.

"Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Michael is forecast to become a major hurricane by Tuesday or Tuesday night," the NHC said.

The NHC predicts Michael to cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico Monday evening into Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the storm is expected to climb over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area.

From there, Michael will continue northeast into the southeastern states Wednesday night and Thursday.

The storm is expected to bring 2-3 inches of rain to parts of North Carolina including the Piedmont Triad.

The NHC reported watches and warnings for a hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge in a number of areas in Florida and the Caribbean on Michael's approach.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
• The Cuban province of the Isle of Youth
• The coast of Mexico from Tulum to Cabo Catoche, including Cozumel

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:</s>Hurricane Michael is a strong storm that will affect the Southeast from the Florida panhandle, all the way to Atlanta.

"Let me be clear, Hurricane Michael is a monstrous storm and the forecast keeps getting more dangerous," said Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

Florida and Georgia residents are no strangers to strong storms.

Hurricane Andrew hit southern Florida in 1992. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm made landfall as a category 5.

Andrew caused billions of dollars in damage and there were 26 deaths directly attributed to Andrew. The storm hit a high populated area, including Miami.

RELATED | Hurricane Michael vs. Hurricane Opal: Comparing the two storms

In October 1995, Opal hit the panhandle before heading into Georgia. The storm hit near Pensacola Beach at a category 3.

Many of the deaths reported in the U.S. from Opal were in south Georgia. Millions were without power.

There's more than 12 hours to go before Michael makes landfall. The storm is strengthening as it approaches the coast.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — A classic October storm, Hurricane Michael is quite the contrast to September's Florence.

Michael is likely to be stronger, windier and fast-moving when it reaches the Florida Panhandle sometime Wednesday. And the water problem along the coast is more likely to be from storm surge, not rainfall.

"You won't have days and days of rain. It'll be gone in about a day," University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said Tuesday.

Warm water is the fuel of hurricanes, and it is now about 2 degrees (about 1 degree Celsius) warmer than normal in the part of the Gulf of Mexico where Michael was Tuesday, McNoldy said. He said that's like giving a car premium gas instead of regular. Right before the storm makes landfall, the water it goes over will be 4 to 5 degrees (2.2 to 2.8 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal giving Michael "just an extra kick," he said.

Because of the warmer water, computer simulations predict Michael's central pressure will plunge just before making landfall, which is a sign of intensification, said Weather Underground's Jeff Masters. But there may not be enough time for wind speeds to really pick up before coming ashore.

"We expect Michael to intensify right up to landfall," he said. "It's going to be interrupted by landfall — otherwise it would have gotten stronger."

Michael formed from a large, sloppy area of low pressure in the western Caribbean and headed north. Strong storms earlier in the season usually form off the coast of West Africa, then chug west toward the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast.

The Atlantic hurricane season extends from June 1 through Nov. 30. While the season peaks in August and September, big storms in October are not uncommon. Michael only became the season's 13th named storm on Sunday. Nadine became the 14th named storm on Tuesday. An average season has about a dozen named storms.

WHERE IT WILL HIT

The National Hurricane Center forecasts Michael to hit the center part of the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane. While weaker storms have hit that area, major hurricanes with winds greater than 110 mph don't do it very often, McNoldy said. Only three major hurricanes have hit the Panama City area and none since 1895, according to McNoldy. And only seven major hurricanes have hit within 100 miles (160 kilometers).

Looking at the broader Panhandle area, Masters sees plenty of major hurricanes that might be good parallels. He points to 2005's Dennis which hit Santa Rosa Beach and 1995's Hurricane Opal that made landfall in Pensacola.

Experts worry the most about Michael's storm surge — forecast at 10 to 12 feet (3 meters). Storm surges aren't walls of water, like a tsunami. They're a rise in the sea level caused by a hurricane's winds relentlessly pushing water on shore. The high water has destructive waves on top, and it comes in addition to normal tides.

The Gulf Coast gets bigger storm surges because the water is shallow just off shore, so it can pile up. And the Big Bend area of Florida is notorious for high storm surge because of its curved shape. Dennis hit 170 miles (275 kilometers) to the west yet the Big Bend area had higher storm surge.

Hurricane forecasters haven't had much problem figuring out Michael's path in the Gulf of Mexico. The major computer models quickly converged on a similar track early on, McNoldy said.

"This thing has been so predictable it's crazy," he said. "This is as well behaved as storms get. It doesn't make landfall any better, but at least you know what to expect and when to expect it."

For the latest on Hurricane Michael, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes .

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.</s>Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned residents Sunday night the storm could become a Category 2 hurricane by the time it makes landfall
Tropical Storm Michael becomes Hurricane Michael and is upgraded to a category 1 storm.