>>> THIS IS AN NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT.
REPORT. HERE’S KATE SNOW.
>> GOOD DAY, EVERYONE.
WEIR COMING ON THE AIR TO BRING
YOU THE LATEST ON HURRICANE
MICHAEL NOW BEARING DOWN ON THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE.
FLORIDA PANHANDLE. IT IS NOW A CATEGORY 4 STORM
ALTHOUGH MOVING CLOSE TO 5.
THOSE POWERFUL STORM ON RECORD
EVER TO HIT THIS PART OF THE
GULF COAST AND IT IS STILL
GAINING STREPGTSNGTH.
GAINING STREPGTSNGTH. THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS IN
MICHAEL’S PATH HAVE ALREADY
EVACUATED.
EVACUATED. MANY MORE WHO HAVE STAYED BEHIND
HAVE NOW BEEN WARNED TO SEEK
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. AL ROKER IS TRACKING ALL OF THIS
MONSTER STORM.
MONSTER STORM. IT IS MOVING SO QUICKLY.
>> IF THERE IS ANY GOOD THING
ABOUT IT IS THAT IT’S MOVING
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. TORNADO WATCHES FROM TAMPA TO
PANAMA CITY.
PANAMA CITY. IT’S 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
MEXICO BEACH, FLORIDA.
THE EYEWALL IS ON SHORE NOW.
WITH EVE HAD WIND GUSTS REPORTED
UP TO 126 MILES PER HOUR AT
MEXICO BEACH.
MEXICO BEACH. BY THIS EVENING IT IS IN THE
SOUTH WESTERN GEORGIA AS A
CATEGORY 2 STORM.
IT CONTINUES AS A TROPICAL STORM
ALONG THE GEORGIA/SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST.
COAST. BY FRIDAY MORNING IT’S OFF THE
NOFRT EAST COAST.
HERE ARE THE IMPACTS WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. STORM SURGE WHERE WE SEE THE
MOST DAMAGING CONDITIONS AND THE
MOST DEATHS.
MOST DEATHS. COASTAL LOCATIONS WILL BE INUN
INUNDATED
INUNDATED INUNDATED.
INUNDATED. 6 TO 9 # FEET AROUND CEDAR KEY.
9 TO 13 FEET AROUND APALACHICOLA
AND TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THAT,
A THREE-FOOT STORM SURGE WOULD
ACTUALLY COME UP TO YOUR PORCH.
A 6-FOOT STORM SURGE WOULD COVER
ME AND A 13-FOOT STORM SURGE
GOES INTO SECOND FLOORS OF
HOMES.
HOMES. AND THEN THERE’S THE RAINFALL.
KATE, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF UP TO
12 INCHES BUT GENERALLY WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT ANYWHERE FROM 5 TO
10 INCHES OF RAIN.
FLASH FLOOD WATCHES BEING ISSUED
NOW.
NOW. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.
THIS COULD POSSIBLY WIPE OUT
BARRIER ISLANDS ALONG THE
FLORIDA COAST CHANGING THE
GEOGRAPHY FOREVER.
GEOGRAPHY FOREVER. >> ALL RIGHT.
THANKS.
THANKS. STAY WITH US.
NBC NEWS TEAMS ARE DEPLOYED ALL
ACROSS THE STORM ZONE.
GABE IS IN APALACHICOLA ON THE
GULF COAST.
GULF COAST. I CAN SEE FROM YOUR SHOT HOW BAD
IT IS.
IT IS. >> Reporter: KATE, WE’RE SEEING
THE RAW POWER OF HURRICANE
MICHAEL JUST WITHIN THE PAST
HOUR OR SO.
WE HAVE SEEN THE WINDS INTENSIFY
SIGNIFICANTLY.
SIGNIFICANTLY. AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME PARTS
OF THIS TOWN ARE COMPLETELY
UNDERWATER.
UNDERWATER. WE’RE HERE IN DOWNTOWN
APALACHICOLA, HISTORIC CITY BUT
AS AL MENTIONED THIS HAS A
POTENTIAL TO BE A HISTORIC
STORM.
STORM. THE STRONGEST STORM TO HIT THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE ON RECORD.
IT IS PROJECTED AS MY HAT FLIES
OFF IT IS PROJECTED TO STRIKE
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE JUST TO
OUR WEST, BUT WE’RE IN THE
SO-CALLED DIRTY SIDE OF THE
STORM AND THAT MEANS WE WILL GET
HIT WITH SIGNIFICANTLY STRONG
WIND AND RAIN.
HERE IN AVENUE, AUTHORITIES FEAR
DEVASTATING STORM SURGE OF AT
LEAST FIVE FEET HAS ALREADY BEEN
REPORTED.
REPORTED. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
IN FLORIDA HAVE BEEN URGED TO
EVACUATE IN GEORGIA AND ALABAMA
UNDER STATES OF EMERGENCY.
BUT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE IN THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS THIS
MONSTER HURRICANE MAKES
LANDFALL.
LANDFALL. >> GABE, ARE YOU SEEING PEOPLE
THERE OR IS THAT TOWN FAIRLY
EVACUATED?
EVACUATED? >> Reporter: THIS IS THE
DOWNTOWN AREA, KATE.
WE SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR OF THE
TOWN JUST TO OUR WEST CLOSER TO
WHERE THE EYE WILL HIT.
HE SAYS ABOUT HALF OF HIS TOWN
DID NOT EVACUATE.
HERE IN APALACHICOLA THE
DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN
BOARDED UP.
BOARDED UP. MOST OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE LEFT,
THANKFULLY BUT THERE ARE STILL
AREAS WHERE PEOPLE DECIDED NOT
TO HEED THE WARNINGS AND DECIDED
TO STAY.
TO STAY. THE QUESTION WILL BE HOW HIGH
WILL THIS STORM SURGE RISE OVER
THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS AND
ESPECIALLY WITH HIGH TIDE
TONIGHT AND HOW MUCH OF THE WIND
DAMAGE WILL THIS AREA SEE AND
HOW HIGH WOULD THIS WATER RISE
DESPITE -- DESPITE ALL THOSE
PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY LEFT.
THERE’S STILL PLENTY OF DANGER
FOR THOSE WHO STAYED.
IT IS TOO LATE TO EVACUATE
BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, MICHAEL
IS ALREADY HERE.
>> WE CAN SEE THAT CLEARLY.
GABE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
STAY SAFE.
STAY SAFE. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP BRIEFED JUST
MOMENTS AGO AT THE WHITE HOUSE
BY FEMA OFFICIALS.
HE SAID HE DOES PLAN TO VISIT
THE AFFECTED AREAS IN THE COMING
DAYS AFTER THE STORM.
WE’LL CONTINUE TO TRACK THIS
STORM THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
YOU CAN STAY WITH US FOR
CONTINUING COVERAGE INCLUDING
LESTER HOLT REPORTING LIVE FROM