Hurricane Michael (2018)

Date: October 7-16, 2018

Place: Southeastern United States, most notably the Florida Panhandle region

Result: Michael was the fourth-strongest Atlantic hurricane to hit the United States. The storm was responsible for seventy-two deaths and more than $25 billion in damage.

Overview

Hurricane Michael was a hurricane that originated in the Atlantic Ocean in 2018. Its effects were felt in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea, but it had its most devastating impact on the Florida Panhandle and the eastern United States. It was the fourth-strongest known Atlantic hurricane to ever strike the United States, qualifying as a strong category 4 storm at its peak. Michael caused seventy-two recorded fatalities and more than $25 billion in damage. Its winds were measured at 155 miles per hour (249 kilometers per hour) at their strongest.

Michael was at its most devastating when it struck Florida, with some sources suggesting that it actually reached category 5 status for a brief amount of time. A category 5 hurricane is the highest classification issued by the National Weather Service. Such a storm has sustained winds of 157 mph (253 km/h) or higher. Michael’s 155-mph winds made it the most powerful storm to hit the United States since Andrew struck southern Florida in 1992. The hurricane caused most of its destruction in the United States, though fatalities also occurred in Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, and regions of Cuba were damaged and lost power.

Hurricanes are intense, rotating storm systems that form over the warm ocean water in tropical or sub-tropical climates. When strong winds blow across the warm ocean, water evaporates near the surface. The vapor forms clouds above the water, releasing heat. If strong winds continue, this can result in the clouds gradually growing into a thunderstorm. The heat released into the air alters the air pressure, which affects the surrounding air currents, eventually building into rotating, high-speed winds.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States observed the first signs of Michael on October 2, 2018. It detected a disturbance in the southwest Caribbean Sea. The disturbance strengthened as it traveled toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The storm continued to build, and by October 7, it was officially classified as Tropical Storm Michael. Nearby countries began to respond. Cuba evacuated hundreds of people from its west coast. Florida’s governor declared a state of emergency for counties that were in or near the storm’s projected path.

At first, meteorologists did not anticipate Michael would become nearly as powerful as it did. The storm maintained extremely low pressure throughout its duration, which allowed it to sustain its very high winds and rapid movement speed. Michael moved much more quickly than hurricanes typically do, especially when it passed over land. This was partially due to the wetland terrain where it made landfall in Florida. Ordinarily, dryer air and terrain features like hills, valleys, and mountains cause a hurricane to slow down and break up once it leaves the water. But the moisture of the wetlands and relatively level surface allowed Michael to travel farther and faster.

Impact

Michael’s impact was first felt in Central America. The storm caused severe flooding in Honduras where it damaged about 1,000 homes, killed eight people, and displaced many more. Nicaragua experienced four deaths and about 2,000 damaged homes. Three people lost their lives in El Salvador, and more than 250 homes were damaged.

On October 8, the storm intensified and was labelled Hurricane Michael. It hit the west coast of Cuba, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power. As the storm approached the Florida panhandle, Florida’s governor issued a state of emergency for nine more counties. Schools and universities closed and thousands of people were evacuated. On October 9, President Donald Trump issued a federal emergency disaster declaration, and federal relief efforts went into effect. Once it became apparent that Michael would pass through southern Georgia, the state’s governor declared a state of emergency.

Michael was considered a category 4 hurricane when it made landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida. A hurricane is labelled category 4 if it has sustained winds between 130 and 156 mph (209-251 km/h). With its greatest wind speed measured at 155 miles per hour, Michael was on the brink of being classified as a category 5. Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida, was devastated by Michael, with structures, aircraft, and automobiles taking severe damage. The winds were powerful enough to push and flip fighter planes.

Local forests were also impacted. Some trees were toppled by the force of the winds, while even those left standing were stripped of their leaves and branches. Residential areas near the shore were heavily damaged, with many houses and structures flattened. Docked boats were blown ashore and debris of all sizes was scattered across Michael’s path. As the storm moved inland, Michael caused severe damage to Tallahassee and Panama City as well, and left large sections of the cities without power. Local farms lost substantial amounts of crops.

By the time Michael entered Georgia, the storm’s intensity had dropped, but it was still a dangerous category 3 storm with winds measured at 115 mph (185 km/h). The storm headed inland with more speed and intensity than most hurricanes, and became the most powerful hurricane to hit Georgia in more than a century. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power, homes were damaged, and roads were blocked. The state’s cotton and pecan crops suffered severe losses.

Michael caused considerable damage after passing through Georgia. Fallen trees led to fatalities in North Carolina, while floods claimed six lives in Virginia. Michael also caused flooding in Maryland before reaching the Atlantic.

In February 2019, several members of Florida’s congress voiced their disappointment at the lack of government aid in cleanup efforts. They referred to Michael as a forgotten hurricane, and estimated that not even half of the debris had been cleared away in the months since Michael had arrived. Most of the impacted areas outside of Mexico City had not yet received the federal financial aid that they had been promised.

Bibliography

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McCreless, Patrick. “Four Months after Michael, Only Mexico Beach Has Seen a FEMA Reimbursement.” Panama City News Herald, 26 Feb. 2019, www.newsherald.com/news/20190226/four-months-after-michael-only-mexico-beach-has-seen-fema-reimbursement. Accessed 26 Feb. 2019.

Miller, Brandon & Griggs, Brandon. “Michael is the Strongest Hurricane to Hit Continental U.S. Since Andrew.” CNN, 11 Oct. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/10/09/weather/hurricane-michael-stats-superlatives-wxc-trnd/index.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2019.

“’Potentially Catastrophic’ Hurricane Michael Makes Landfall in Florida Panhandle as Category 4 Storm.” CBS News, 10 Oct. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/live-news/hurricane-michael-path-evacuation-florida-storm-surge-weather-forecast-today-2018-live-updates/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2019.

“Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.” National Hurricane Center, www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php. Accessed 24 Feb. 2019.

Wright, Pam. “Michael Brings Flooding Rains to Central America, Killing at Least 13.” The Weather Channel, 8 Oct. 2018, weather.com/news/news/2018-10-08-michael-central-america-honduras. Accessed 24 Feb. 2019.