EMBED >More News Videos Hurricane Michael videos (1 of 16) Many roads remain closed because of downed trees, power lines caused by Tropical Storm Michael. EMBED >More News Videos Gov. Cooper joined with state emergency leaders to issue an update on TS Michael. A tornado watch has been issued for parts of North Carolina and Virginia until 9 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/fOi4XmBpk6 — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) October 11, 2018 Timeline of the storm Michael remained a tropical storm through 11 p.m. Thursday night as it moved out of central North Carolina and pushed toward Virginia. Its rain tapered off, but high winds caused the biggest problems , knocking down scores of trees, leading to blocked roadways and thousands without power.A cold front collided with the back edge of the storm, causing wind gusts, some of which approached 50 mph through the Triangle on Thursday night.Andrew Phelan, a UNC senior, watched a tree fall next to his house on McCauley Street in Chapel Hill. "I saw it fall and heard it and it was much quieter than you'd expect a tree falling to sound, and it was hanging on the power lines and we still had power," Phelan told ABC11's Josh Chapin. "It was really pretty incredible. "Phelan said he was surprised that class was in session. "I was pretty surprised we were going to class today. It was shocking," he said. "The gust of wind was pretty intense. It was crazy. I was worried there would be more trees than that falling down. "The good news is that rain totals in the Triangle were slightly lower than forecast (about 2 to 4 inches) so most flash flooding should quickly recede.Hurricane Michael is blamed for at least six deaths, including. The storm hit the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday afternoon and swept through Georgia before entering the Carolinas.Gov. Roy Cooper said people should still take precautions. "Inland hurricanes and tropical storms are life-threatening and can do just as much damage as coastal storms," Cooper said. "I want all North Carolinians to be on alert -- from storm surge on the coast to strong winds in the eastern and central parts of NC, to rain in the Piedmont and the west. Travel can be treacherous right now, so you should stay off the roads if you can," Cooper said.In Raleigh, a stretch of Capital Boulevard was. Roads in many counties were affected.Michael was said to be the most powerful hurricane on record to hit Florida's Panhandle.9 a.m.: Rainfall starts in the Sandhills11 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Heavier rain starts to fall across the area3 p.m. - 7 p.m.: Heaviest rainfall occurs7 p.m.: Heavy rains start to taper off, dry spots form8 p.m. - 10 p.m.: Storm pushes out of the area<doc-sep>Meanwhile, the Waffle House near Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee was open for business at 12:28 a.m., with lines stretching out the door. FEMA officials famously use the Waffle House Index as a way of measuring storm damage: Since the diner chain is ubiquitous in the southeast, and rarely shuts down in extreme weather, seeing the Waffle House closed down before a storm is a sign that things are about to get extremely bad. If the Waffle House hasn’t reopened after the storm, FEMA considers that a sign that the area has experienced major devastation.<doc-sep>The International Space Station shared views of Hurricane Matthew as it approached the Florida Gulf Coast. PANAMA CITY, FL - OCTOBER 10: Debris is blown down a street by Hurricane Michael on October 10, 2018 in Panama City, Florida. The hurricane made landfall on the Florida Panhandle as a category 4 storm. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) See inside the storm hour by hour Side-by-side images before and after storm hit See Hurricane Michael destruction from the air Priest on damage: Feels like a bomb went off Survivor breaks down: Our lives are gone Woman trying to find brother after Michael Editor’s Note: Are you affected by Hurricane Michael? Text, iMessage or WhatsApp your videos, photos and stories to CNN when it’s safe: 347-322-0415 (CNN) — Hurricane Michael’s deadly trail of devastation now stretches from the Florida Panhandle, where it wiped away a coastal city, to the Carolinas, where it triggered flash floods that turned roads into rivers. And the threat continues overnight. Now a tropical storm with winds of 50 mph, Michael is expected to gain strength as it passes into Virginia and moves into the western Atlantic Ocean overnight, bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding over parts of North Carolina and Virginia. Six people are dead in the storm’s path, and authorities fear the toll could climb higher as search-and-rescue efforts continue. So far, Coast Guard crews in Florida have rescued 40 people and assisted 232. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Hurricane Michael carried a home across a road and slammed it against a condo complex in Mexico Beach. Conditions remain precarious in hard hit areas, especially Mexico Beach, Florida, where Michael reduced buildings to rubble and snapped trees in half. A councilwoman from there issued an urgent plea to anyone thinking of returning. “Please don’t come down,” Linda Albrecht said. “The more people that return, it’s just going to get in the way.” Track the storm Key developments • Where is Michael? As of Thursday evening, the storm was centered about five miles northwest of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. • Power outages are on the rise: 1.3 million customers in six states are without power, including 604,831 in North Carolina. • Victims identified: The dead include four people in Florida, a child in Georgia and a man in North Carolina. • Public health emergency declared in Georgia: The declaration will help ensure those who rely on Medicare and Medicaid have access to the care they need, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Evan Vucci/AP President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott tour a Lynn Haven, Florida, neighborhood that was affected by Hurricane Michael. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Lisa Patrick is overcome with emotion as she visits the remains of her home in Mexico Beach, Florida, on Monday, October 15. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images The President and first lady hand out bottles of water to people in Lynn Haven on October 15. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images The Trumps tour damage in Lynn Haven. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty Images President Trump flies over the devastation in Mexico Beach. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images Mexico Beach residents make their way across a washed-out road on Friday, October 12. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Bronte Wittpenn/The Tampa Bay Times/AP An aerial view shows the devastation in Mexico Beach on October 12. The small beach resort saw the brunt of Michael, authorities say. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Hector Retamal/Getty Images Dough Shelby looks out at the destruction from his house in Mexico Beach on October 12. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Bronte Wittpenn/The Tampa Bay Times/AP Little remains of a burned home destroyed by the hurricane in Mexico Beach on October 12. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Jabin Botsford/Washington Post/Getty Images Benny Hobson sits in his recliner on Thursday, October 11, after losing the front wall of his house in Panama City, Florida. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images Storm-damaged boats are piled up in Panama City on October 11. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Elizabeth Hanson, right, and her daughter Emaly hug their neighbor Cindy Clark on October 11. The hurricane heavily damaged their homes in Mexico Beach. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Jabin Botsford/Washington Post/Getty Images Collector cars are covered in debris in Panama City on October 11. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Tom Bailey walks his bike past a home that was carried across a road and slammed up against a condo complex in Mexico Beach. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Gerald Herbert/AP Joyce Fox stands in front of her heavily damaged home in Panama City on October 11. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Gerald Herbert/AP A boat sits amid debris in Mexico Beach on October 11. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: David Goldman/AP Kylie Strampe holds her 4-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage in Callaway, Florida, on October 11. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Trees snapped by Michael's winds are seen in Mexico Beach on October 11. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Amanda Logsdon faces a heavy cleanup task at her Panama City house on October 11. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: Gerald Herbert/AP Rescue personnel search Mexico Beach. Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction PHOTO: David Goldman/AP A man walks through a damaged store in Springfield, Florida.<doc-sep>At a Glance Michael is rapidly moving northeast and offshore. Heavy rain is triggering flash flooding in parts of the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic. Additional power outages are possible through early Friday with remnant winds. Michael was the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall on the Florida Panhandle. Tropical Storm Michael is accelerating through Virginia with gusty winds and flooding rain. Extreme rainfall totals may occur in either of those states through early Friday as Michael swings out into the Atlantic. You have found an old version of this article. For the latest, go to this link. Storm History Michael made landfall as a catastrophic, unprecedented Florida Panhandle Category 4 hurricane early during the afternoon of Oct. 10. Hurricane Michael intensified right up to its landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, around 12:30 p.m. CDT Wednesday as a high-end Category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph and a minimum central pressure of 919 millibars. (MORE: Images Show the Fierce Power of Michael) Michael was the third most intense continental U.S. landfall by pressure and fourth strongest by maximum sustained winds on record. Michael was also the most intense Florida Panhandle landfall on record, the first Category 4 hurricane to do so in records dating to the mid-19th century. The National Hurricane Center's Storm Surge Unit, estimated peak storm surge inundation of 9 to 14 feet above ground likely occurred from Mexico Beach through Apalachee Bay, a location notorious for storm surge even from less intense tropical cyclones. Michael's storm surge produced a peak inundation of 7.72 feet above ground level at Apalachicola, Florida, Wednesday afternoon, smashing the previous record of 6.43 feet above ground set during Hurricane Dennis in July 2005. Peak inundation of 5.31 feet above ground at Panama City, Florida, was second only to Hurricane Opal in 1995. Cedar Key, Florida, saw peak inundation of just over 4 feet Wednesday afternoon. An observing site near Tyndall Air Force Base, east of Panama City, measured a wind gust to 129 mph early Wednesday afternoon, and a gust to 107 mph was reported 1 mile south of Panama City. At one time, it was estimated over 200 roads in the city of Tallahassee were blocked by fallen trees. A weather reporting station deployed by Weatherflow and the University of Florida measured a surface pressure from 920-929 millibars, an extraordinarily low pressure to measure on U.S. soil, before it was toppled, according to Shea Gibson, WeatherFlow, Inc. meteorologist. Advertisement Michael also shattered Panama City's all-time low pressure record, which had stood from Hurricane Kate in 1985. Here are some other notable peak measured wind gusts by state: - Florida: 129 mph at Tyndall AFB; 89 mph in Apalachicola; 71 mph in Tallahassee- Alabama: 68 mph in Dothan- Georgia: 115 mph in Donalsonville; 70 mph in Albany- South Carolina: 55 mph in Myrtle Beach; 52 mph near Charleston Storm reports from Hurricane Michael Winds gusted to 50-55 mph, at times, in Augusta, Georgia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Thursday morning. There have been a number of reports of trees and power lines downed in eastern Georgia and South Carolina, including in the Columbia metro area. Rainfall from Michael has now topped 6 inches in a few locations, but has been held down somewhat, primarily due to Michael's more rapid forward movement compared to Florence. Here are some notable rainfall totals by state: - Florida: 5.26 inches at Sumatra; 3.17 inches in Tallahassee; 2.61 inches in Panama City- Alabama: 5.54 inches in Ozark; 4.92 inches in Dothan; 1.60 inches in Montgomery- Georgia: 6.48 inches near Powder Springs; 3.37 inches in Macon- South Carolina: 6.01 inches near Hartsville; 4.47 inches in Columbia- North Carolina: 9.62 inches near Black Mountain; 6.75 inches near Boone; 2.95 inches in Asheville- Virginia: 5.75 inches near White Gate; 1.40 inches in Blacksburg Numerous homes, businesses, and roads flooded Thursday evening in Farmville, Virginia. Flooding was also reported on Interstate 26 and the Interstate 126 interchange on the northwest side of Columbia early Thursday morning. Ten homes were flooded in Irmo, South Carolina, requiring some evacuations. In North Carolina, a swift water rescue was needed due to flooding near Old Fort, and significant street flooding was reported in Hendersonville and Boone. Michael first developed as Tropical Depression Fourteen on Oct. 7 east of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Michael's History Michael rapidly intensified from a tropical depression to Category 1 hurricane in just 24 hours ending 11 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Michael continued to intensify right up to landfall, exhibiting eyewall lightning as it pushed to high-end Category 4 status slamming ashore in the Florida Panhandle. Michael arrived in southwestern Georgia early Wednesday evening as a Category 3 major hurricane, the first hurricane of that strength to track into Georgia since the Georgia Hurricane of 1898, according to Dr. Phil Klotzbach, tropical scientist at Colorado State University. PHOTOS: Hurricane Michael<doc-sep>
Tropical Storm Michael, formerly Hurricane Michael, which bashed the Florida panhandle as one of the worst storms to ever hit the U.S. in recorded history, continues working through North Carolina on a dangerous path leading to Virginia. Both states face extreme flooding risk and damaging winds before Michael exits into the Atlantic on Friday. Heavy rains from Michael Thursday night extend to Washington, D.C. "Gale- to storm-force winds are expected over portions of the Mid-Atlantic coast as Michael exits the U.S. east coast and becomes post-tropical," the National Hurricane Center said late Thursday. "Non-tropical high wind watches, warnings, and advisories have been issued by local NWS offices for wind hazards in these areas north of Duck, North Carolina." North Carolina was already flood-sensitive with creeks and rivers at a high stage after Hurricane Florence hit there several weeks ago. Michael is also pouring flash flooding rains as it passes through North Carolina today and multiple warnings have emerged as a result. According to weather.com, these North Carolina and Virginia flash flooding warnings have been issued Thursday: For Roanoke City, Roanoke County and the city of Salem in North Carolina following 6 inches of rain, extreme ongoing flooding and numerous swift water rescues. For Danville and southern Pittsylvania County in southern Virginia following a dozen or more water rescues and heavy rainfall. For Prince Edward, southwestern Cumberland, northwestern Lunenburg, northwestern Nottoway, and west central Amelia Counties for extremely heavy rainfall. The timing of Tropical Storm Michael's threat for North Carolina and southern Virginia is that the storm will continue tracking through those states tonight, moving closer to the Atlantic Friday morning. The center of Michael "will continue to accelerate to the east-northeast through Thursday night across North Carolina into southeast Virginia, then move off the East Coast out to sea by Friday as a post-tropical low," according to weather.com. "Life-threatening flash flooding is occurring over portions of North Carolina and southern Virginia and will continue through the evening," the National Hurricane Center said. "Damaging winds are spreading eastward across portions of central and eastern North Carolina, and will continue through this evening. These winds have the potential to cause tree and structural damage. Strong winds are also expected over portions of southeastern Virginia and the Virginia Eastern Shore tonight as Michael becomes post-tropical." In South Carolina Thursday, flooding was reported on Interstate 26 and the Interstate 126 interchange on the northwest side of Columbia, according to The Weather Channel. By late Thursday afternoon and into the evening Tropical Storm Michael was hitting North Carolina hard with winds and flooding rains, which extended into Virginia toward Washington, D.C. "It should also be noted that an area of damaging wind gusts of up to 50 kt has developed around the northwest side of the circulation over central North Carolina and Virginia this afternoon," the National Hurricane Center said late Thursday. "As a result, the gust factor has been increased in this advisory, as this area of strong winds will spread northward and eastward across portions of eastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina this evening and tonight."