RICHMOND — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon in aniticipation of heavy rain and high winds from Tropical Storm Michael.

“I want to urge all Virginians to prepare for the serious possibility of flash floods, tropical storm force winds, tornadoes, and power outages,” Northam said in a written announcement.

Social media was already showing images of heavy rain and flooding in the Roanoke area as the remnants of the powerful storm tracked northward.

In Richmond, state government offices closed at 2 p.m., city offices closed at 3 and schools were being let out early in advance of the storm’s arrival. Dominion Energy, Virginia’s biggest electric utility, sent out warnings urging residents to prepare for possible outages and describing efforts to position workers to make repairs.

Northam’s emergency declaration allows the state to mobilize resources in preparation for any damage from the storm.

The move comes just a month after Northam took the unprecedented step of issuing evacuation orders for low-lying parts of Hampton Roads as Hurricane Florence approached.

[Pricetag of coastal Virginia’s near miss from Hurricane Florence could be $75 million]

Though Virginia dodged serious damage from that storm, which instead delivered its major blow to North Carolina, the state was on the hook for some $75 million in emergency preparation expenses. Officials said the federal government should reimburse up to 75 percent of those funds.

Thursday’s emergency declaration did not involve any evacuation orders. Virginia residents were urged to visit www.VAemergency.gov for preparedness tips, and www.511Virginia.org for updates on road conditions.</s>The following central Georgia schools/colleges have announced closures as a result of Hurricane Michael:
• Telfair County Schools, Closed at noon Wednesday, closed on Thursday and Friday

RELATED: Tracking Michael | Strong winds, several inches of rain likely for central Georgia

*Contact your local Head Start program or day care provider for cancellations.
• Georgia College in Milledgeville, all classes and activities suspended until Monday
• Mercer University's Wednesday undergrad classes have been rescheduled to Dec. 8

We will continue to keep you updated on school closings here on the 13 WMAZ website and on the WMAZ mobile app.</s>The following central Georgia schools/colleges have announced closures as a result of Hurricane Michael:

RELATED: Tracking Michael | Strong winds, several inches of rain likely for central Georgia

*Contact your local Head Start program or day care provider for cancellations.
• Georgia College in Milledgeville, all classes and activities suspended until Monday
• Mercer University's Wednesday undergrad classes have been rescheduled to Dec. 8

We will continue to keep you updated on school closings here on the 13 WMAZ website and on the WMAZ mobile app.</s>Historic and horrific. When Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida on Wednesday afternoon, maximum sustained winds had intensified to 155 mph. That's just a single mile per hour shy of category 5 strength, making it one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever make landfall in the United States. The storm and damage images coming out of the Florida panhandle are just incredible. (Incredible, but reckless.)

As of this writing (6 a.m. Thursday), Michael has weakened to a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The storm is centered over the Georgia-South Carolina state line, and will shove toward North Carolina and Virginia as Thursday pushes on.

Let's lay out "8 things to know" about Michael's impact on New Jersey:

1.) Rain and Wind Part 1... Scattered showers will arrive from the southwest Thursday morning , with periods of rain through Thursday afternoon . This precursor event could feature some pockets of heavy rain. And it will be breezy during the daytime hours, with gusts to 25 mph (no more than that).

2.) Rain and Wind Part 2... The steadiest, heaviest rain and gustiest winds will arrive Thursday night through early Friday morning . Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour could make driving very difficult, both due to flooding/ponding issues and near-zero visibility. Wind gusts are forecast to peak near 40 mph across inland New Jersey and near 50 mph at the beaches. That's strong enough to bring down sizable tree branches and cause power outages.

3.) Flash Flood Watch... Issued for almost all of New Jersey (except for Sussex and Warren counties) from Thursday midday through 5 a.m. Friday morning . A watch means that very heavy rain may cause rapid rises in water. (Again, this is "inland" flooding, not "tidal" flooding.)

4.) Rainfall Totals... NW NJ (Sussex and Warren counties) will see the calmest winds and lightest rain, with totals maybe in the half-inch to inch range. (And even that might be pushing it.) Most of the state should expect 1 to 2 inches of rain. The worst of it will affect the south coast, around southern Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May counties. 3+ inches of rain could cause significant flooding.

5.) Down the Shore... In terms of coastal issues, the Jersey Shore has little to worry about from Michael. Surge estimates are below a foot from Sandy Hook to Cape May.

6.) Action Steps... As long as you don't dip into complacency and stay "weather aware" over the next 24 hours, you'll probably weather Michael's storm OK. Consciously stay alert to changing weather and road conditions, and avoid unnecessary travel.

7.) Clearing Out... Rain will come to an end by about 8 a.m. Friday , as Michael (like a post-tropical storm at that point) rapidly pulls away from the U.S. East Coast. Winds will calm significantly and skies should clear to sunshine by Noon Friday .

8.) Cooling Down... And then, here comes the big cooldown! Temperatures will tumble throughout Friday — 60s in the morning, 50s in the afternoon, and 40s at night.

9.) The Weekend... Yup, it is definitely going to feel like fall! Morning low temps will probably end up in the 40s for the majority of the Garden State. There could be a few 30s in NW NJ and the Pine Barrens (especially Sunday AM) — that could be cold enough to produce our first frost of the season. Afternoon high temperatures will be in the lower 60s, at best. Models have stubbornly painted a shower and/or some drizzle over New Jersey Saturday morning , but I don't completely buy it. (Our atmosphere is going to be very dry.) Other than that, we'll see a mix of sun and clouds throughout the weekend .

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.</s>Hurricane Michael, which made landfall in Florida Wednesday, is being called the third-strongest storm to hit North America. In the D.C. area, its effects are a few days off and should be limited.

WASHINGTON — Hurricane Michael, which made landfall in Florida Wednesday, is being called the third-strongest storm to hit North America. In the D.C. area, its effects are a couple days off and should be limited.

Storm Team 4 meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts said Wednesday that Michael would have a bit more of an impact on the area than it appeared on Tuesday, though a cold front heading across the U.S. would still, in fact, fend off the worst.

On Wednesday, she called for showers Thursday morning for most of the area, with rain increasing over the rest of the day and totaling 1 to 2 inches, with more south and east of D.C.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch on Wednesday afternoon, lasting from Thursday afternoon to late Thursday night for Calvert, St. Mary’s and Charles counties in Maryland and Stafford County in Virginia.

On Friday morning, conditions will dry out, but the winds will pick up, Ricketts said, reaching 35 mph for most of the area and with gusts hitting 50 to 60 mph south and east of D.C.

Ricketts called for Michael to be a tropical depression, or a post-tropical depression, by the time it gets to the WTOP listening area, and to be pushed off the coast of Virginia by the cold front.

Supercharged by abnormally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle with terrifying winds of 155 mph Wednesday, splintering homes and submerging neighborhoods. It was the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental U.S. in nearly 50 years.

It appeared to be so powerful that it was expected to remain a hurricane as it moves into Alabama and Georgia early Thursday. Forecasters said it will unleash damaging wind and rain all the way into the Carolinas, still recovering from Hurricane Florence’s epic flooding.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>NWS: Michael could give us more heavy rain

Unless there is a major shift in the track of Hurricane Michael, there is no major threat to Connecticut.

At most, the state - especially in southern Connecticut - could see some heavy rain from Michael tracks northeast later this week.

“Rain chances should remain high especially across Long Island and southeast Connecticut going into Thursday night and Friday, with the front making only slow progress offshore as Michael passes to the southeast as a potent post-tropical storm.,” the NWS says in its forecast discussion.

“Direct heavy rainfall from Michael should however remain well offshore. Winds are not forecast to be especially strong as Michael passes to the southeast, but that could change especially for Long Island if the storm makes a closer pass at the area than expected.”

As of Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Center has Connecticut in the 1 to 2-inch range of potential rainfall. It only has a 5 to 10 percent chance of tropical force winds in Long Island Sound and southeast Connecticut.

The NWS says there is a 90 percent change of rain on Thursday. It has the best chance of rain Thursday between noon and 9 p.m.

Already, Sikorsky Memorial Airport’s year-to-date rainfall of 43.69 inches is more than 10 inches above normal, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center. Danbury’s 40.77 inches is about 2.50 inches above average.

Michael, with winds up to 90 mph, expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday. Michael is forecast to intensify further before landfall. Michael should weaken significantly as it crosses the southeastern United States. It’s expected re-intensify over the western Atlantic.

Current forecast has Michael tracking into the Atlantic on the North Carolina border.

Our big weather story of the week will be temperatures about 10 degrees above average Tuesday through Thursday followed by chilly Friday and Saturday nights with temps in the low 40s and upper 30s. Normally colder areas of inland areas of Connecticut could see the first frost of the season.

Last year’s first frost was about three weeks late because October’s average temperature was 7.4 degrees above average. Most areas of the state received the first frost on Nov. 1 last year.

Today: Areas of drizzle and fog before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Tonight: Areas of fog before 1am, then areas of fog after 2 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday: Areas of fog before 11 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Wednesday night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Calm wind.

Thursday: A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 76. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then showers likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers before 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63.</s>Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, around 1:30 p.m. EDT with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph and a minimum pressure of 919 millibars. Michael is slowly weakening as it moves through Georgia this evening.

We will start to feel the effects from the remnants of Michael tomorrow. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous Thursday night, with heavy rain likely into Friday morning. Rainfall of 3-6" will be possible, which could cause some issues with localized flooding. Winds will pick up through the night and be strongest early Friday morning, with sustained winds of 30-50 mph and gusts up to 60 mph possible along the coast. This would be enough to cause some issues with tree damage and power outages. The good news is Michael will not linger, and we should see clearing skies and diminishing winds later Friday morning.

Behind Michael, we can expect temperatures to drop, with a beautiful weekend with highs in the upper 60s to around 70°.</s>RICHMOND, Va. -- Hurricane Michael is currently moving into the southern Gulf of Mexico and will strengthen over the next couple of days. Michael could become a major hurricane before making landfall along the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday.

Michael will move inland and accelerate, bringing a shot of rain and breezy conditions to Virginia Thursday through early Friday morning.

"The main shield of rain from the system will come Thursday afternoon and Thursday night into early Friday morning," meteorologist Tom Patton said Tuesday morning. "Maybe some embedded thunderstorms, we could see several inches of rain out of that."

More information can be found in the CBS 6 Hurricane Tracker.

The cold front that will shove Michael eastward away from Virginia will bring us our first true fall air mass. Expect chilly nights and mild afternoons Friday through Sunday under mostly sunny skies. Seasonal weather will continue into early next week.</s>GREENSBORO, NC -- Michael hits Florida as one of the strongest hurricanes on record. It made landfall near the town of Mexico Beach with 155 mph winds. It is headed our way Thursday, moving toward us as a tropical storm.

Thankfully, Michael will be nothing like Florence for the Carolinas, but it will still bring high winds and heavy rain. The WFMY News 2 Weather Team is tracking the storm that will hit us on Thursday.

As of the 7 PM advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Michael had sustained winds of 100 MPH with stronger gusts. It's located in Southwest Georgia border. It was moving north at 13 mph. Pressure has risen to 950 mb.

Earlier Wednesday, Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, during the afternoon according to the National Hurricane Center. The pressure of 919 mb was the third lowest on record for a tropical system in the mainland United States.

Michael will continue to move toward the Carolinas overnight and move in mid-morning on Thursday. We should plan on quiet weather overnight, with winds picking up after sunrise. Heavy rain and high winds will move in by the lunchtime hour, and stick around through the afternoon. By evening, the heavy rain and high winds will slowly start to subside a bit.

WHAT TO EXPECT HERE:

As the storm looks right now, 2" to 4" of rain is likely across the Piedmont, with higher amounts of 4 to 6" possible in some ares. This is enough to cause some flash flooding problems on Thursday, and possibly a some river flooding on Friday.

As far as wind goes, we can plan on 15-30 mph sustained winds, with gusts of 30-50 mph at times. This would be enough to cause some scattered power outages and possibly a few downed trees Thursday.

Rain totals will generally be 4 to 6 inches in the Triad. That's plenty enough to cause some flash flooding throughout the day, especially in areas that are prone to flooding.

The concern for tornadoes is greater south and east of the Triad, but we'll have to keep our eyes peeled. Areas along the Coastal Plain and the Sandhills will have a better chance to see a tornado or two on Thursday.

► Stay on top of weather by downloading the WFMY News 2 App: Apple Users, Android Users

RELATED | Gov. Scott to declare state of emergency to prepare for Tropical Storm Michael

We'll keep you updated on this system.</s>GREENSBORO, NC -- Michael hits Florida as one of the strongest hurricanes on record. It made landfall near the town of Mexico Beach with 155 mph winds. It is headed our way Thursday, moving toward us as a tropical storm.

Thankfully, Michael will be nothing like Florence for the Carolinas, but it will still bring high winds and heavy rain. The WFMY News 2 Weather Team is tracking the storm that will hit us on Thursday.

As of the 7 PM advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Michael had sustained winds of 100 MPH with stronger gusts. It's located in Southwest Georgia border. It was moving north at 13 mph. Pressure has risen to 950 mb.

Earlier Wednesday, Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, during the afternoon according to the National Hurricane Center. The pressure of 919 mb was the third lowest on record for a tropical system in the mainland United States.

Michael will continue to move toward the Carolinas overnight and move in mid-morning on Thursday. We should plan on quiet weather overnight, with winds picking up after sunrise. Heavy rain and high winds will move in by the lunchtime hour, and stick around through the afternoon. By evening, the heavy rain and high winds will slowly start to subside a bit.

WHAT TO EXPECT HERE:

As the storm looks right now, 2" to 4" of rain is likely across the Piedmont, with higher amounts of 4 to 6" possible in some ares. This is enough to cause some flash flooding problems on Thursday, and possibly a some river flooding on Friday.

As far as wind goes, we can plan on 15-30 mph sustained winds, with gusts of 30-50 mph at times. This would be enough to cause some scattered power outages and possibly a few downed trees Thursday.

Rain totals will generally be 4 to 6 inches in the Triad. That's plenty enough to cause some flash flooding throughout the day, especially in areas that are prone to flooding.

The concern for tornadoes is greater south and east of the Triad, but we'll have to keep our eyes peeled. Areas along the Coastal Plain and the Sandhills will have a better chance to see a tornado or two on Thursday.

► Stay on top of weather by downloading the WFMY News 2 App: Apple Users, Android Users

RELATED | Gov. Scott to declare state of emergency to prepare for Tropical Storm Michael

We'll keep you updated on this system.
Heavy rain and strong winds from Michael are expected in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia on Thursday.