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Florida Governor Rick Scott called Michael a "monstrous storm" that could cause "total devastation" in and around the Panhandle area.
"Hurricane Michael should be the most destructive storm to hit the Panhandle in Florida for decades," Scott said Tuesday morning.
"You can not hide from the storm surge, so … get out if an evacuation is ordered," he said.
Tropical winds Mandatory or voluntary evacuation measures have already been issued in at least 16 Florida counties, along the state's Panhandle and Big Bend coasts and in close proximity to them.
About 3.7 million people are under fire warning – in the Panhandle and Big Bend areas, as well as in parts of southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia. Tropical storm warnings affect an additional 2.4 million people in all three states.
The main threats
The center of the storm and its landing point with its destructive winds are only one concern among others. Among them:
• 9 to 12 feet of storm surge could sweep between Apalachicola and Cedar Key, Florida, with slightly lower waves further west along the Panhandle coast. "That means the water will come miles from the coast and could easily be found on the roofs of houses," Scott said.
• Forecasters have stated that tornadoes may occur following the storm in the southeast from Tuesday to Thursday.
• Strong winds are expected to be waving not only Florida, but also southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia. If Michael's core lands in category 2 or higher, it will be the strongest storm in terms of wind speed to hit the country this year.
"You will see damage to the infrastructure.You will see power outages," said Jeff Byard Tuesday, deputy administrator of the Federal Agency's Office of Intervention and Recovery. Emergency Management Agency (Federal Emergency Management Agency).
"Residents must leave today"
A hurricane warning is in place from the border between Alabama and Florida and the Suwannee River in Florida.
Meanwhile, alerts to the tropical storm are spreading from the Chassahowitzka River in Florida to the Mississippi-Alabama border. Observers of tropical storms are active in some coastal areas of Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Storm surge warnings are also in place along the coasts of Florida and Alabama.
US Representative Neal Dunn, whose district includes Panama City, urged evacuated people to go out before the arrival of tropical storm winds. It focused on the islands off the coast whose bridges could close in the approach of the storm.
"You have nowhere to go (if the bridges close)," he said Tuesday morning. "And then you get into your car instead of something else, so we need the residents to leave today … because here tonight, these bridges will be on the brink. to be closed. "
A couple is getting their wedding on the beach
The hurricane forced Benny and Cindy Guinn to get married a day earlier.
The couple was supposed to be hitched Wednesday in Panama City Beach, Florida, but Michael 's approach forced mandatory evacuations.
"We have it (first) pushed back to Tuesday night … and then until Tuesday morning," Cindy Guinn said.
With an officiant standing in front of them, the couple said their wishes on the beach as violent winds swept them.
Georgia and Alabama prepare for damage
In Georgia, Governor Nathan Deal has declared an emergency for 92 counties.
The governor's statement activates the state's emergency plan, according to Ivey's office.
Deaths in Central America
Michael whips the west of Cuba while he was heading to the United States. Up to 12 inches could fall, threatening sudden floods and landslides, the hurricane center said Tuesday.
Over the weekend, Michael's floods resulted in at least 13 deaths in Central America's Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, officials said.
Dianne Gallagher of CNN, Chuck Johnston, Devon Sayers and Dave Hennen contributed to this report.
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