Live Updates Hurricane Michael threatens the Gulf

[R Glass]

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/tropical-storm-hurricane-michael-florida/index.html

ARE YOU GOING TO BE ALRIGHT? Or is it too early to tell?

[specialmom]

Images from this hurricane were such that all I can say is WoW!  

How are things where you are at Barb?  Everything okay in your area?

[Barb135]

Hi there... good to see you.  Yes, everything is fine here.  The storm was strong, but it wasn't really large so the strong winds and heavy rain didn't go out as many miles from the center as they often do.  

Since it stayed away from the coast as it blew north through the Gulf, all we got was a healthy breeze and a couple showers of rain.  We were actually hoping for more rain than we got - less than 0.25" - as we're getting quite dry again but we're thankful we didn't get the brunt of the storm.  We're safe unless/until the next one comes along... We hope that's not for a long time...hurricane season will be over in 6 weeks.

It was the Panhandle and the Big Bend area that got hit really hard and as you know the devastation is almost beyond description, with at least 11 people killed - known so far.  

[R Glass]

I have a cousin that lives in S. Carolina and she said the same thing. She has flooded once already and according to the radar, it looked like she was getting pounded but she said it was a little rain some wind gusts. Just goes to show how unpredictable they are. On another note, I still don't get why the people doing weather, feel the need to stand out in the wind and rain

[Barb135]

I'm sorry I didn't see this... Yes, I'm fine.  Michael was headed for and did in fact, hit, the Panhandle yesterday.  I'm near the "northern center" of the peninsula and as it came up the Gulf of Mexico, all we got was a little breeze and a couple of rain showers.  We were actually hoping for more rain from it, but are very grateful that it stayed far enough off our coast that we didn't get any of the bad stuff.

Thank you for thinking of me.

[Barb135]

I'm sure you've seen, by now, that it was a Cat 4 storm that hit with 155 mph winds, heavy rain, and storm surges.  We haven't heard all the damage it's done, but I did hear that one person was killed in Gadsden County when a tree fell on a home.  

I hear the storm is headed off toward the Carolinas now... I hope it diminishes in strength by the time it gets there since they just got hit with Florence and are still in the clean-up process from that...

[R Glass]

That's amazing, especially being that close from the East of The Eye. Thanks for touching base.

[Barb135]

Fortunately, this storm didn't reach out as far as some of them do, even though it was ferocious.  I think coastal areas might have gotten some tropical winds, but it wasn't much as it stayed a way out in the Gulf until it hit the Panhandle, then it swooped northeast once it hit land.