Hurricane Michael becomes Category 1 storm
The NHC said in its latest advisory that Hurricane Michael is now a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.
CBS News weather producer said that Hurricane Michael had gained wind speeds of 55 mph in about a 30 hour time span before making landfall earlier Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.
The storm was located about 20 miles southwest of Albany, Georgia. Damaging winds are tearing through the central and eastern panhandle of Florida and south-central Gerogia. Storm flooding is still occurring along the Gulf Coast.
NHC said Michael will steadily weaken as it crosses the southeastern United States through Thursday night, becoming a tropical storm by Thursday morning. Michael is forecast to strengthen some Thursday night and Friday when it moves off the east coast of the United States and becomes a post-tropical cyclone Friday.
Projected path for Hurricane Michael as of 8 p.m. ET on Wed., Oct. 10, 2018.
National Hurricane Center
Potential rainfall
The NHC said the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, southeast Alabama and portions of southwest and central Georgia could see 4 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches. This rainfall could lead to life-threatening flash floods.
The remainder of Georgia, North and South Carolina and into Virginia could see 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 8 inches. This rainfall could lead to life-threatening flash floods.
About 1 to 3 inches could fall on the Florida Peninsula, eastern Mid Atlantic and southern New England coast.
