Hurricane Michael may be the worst storm to ever hit the Florida panhandle, warns FEMA chief

President Trump discusses Hurricane Michael with the Homeland Security Secretary and FEMA Administrator.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Hurricane Michael has made landfall in Florida — and it's looking to be a historically powerful storm.

Brock Long, the administrator of FEMA, told President Trump on Wednesday that Michael looks to be the most intense storm the Florida panhandle has seen in 167 years, calling it a "Gulf Coast hurricane of the worst kind," per CNN. There have been no recorded instances of a Category 4 hurricane hitting the Florida panhandle going back to 1851, per The Washington Post. But Michael is a Category 4 and just a few miles per hour away from being a Category 5, USA Today reports.

Long delivered this information to President Trump in the Oval Office, also saying that the agency is "concerned" that not enough people are evacuating the area, which is expected to be hit with winds over 145 mph. "Structures built before 2001 are not designed to handle that type of wind, typically," Long said, adding that storm surges between nine and 14 feet are expected.

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott has referred to Michael as the "worst storm that our Florida panhandle has seen in a century," per The New York Times. The hurricane on Wednesday afternoon made landfall in Mexico Beach, per The Weather Channel. It's then expected to make its way to Georgia, with FEMA warning that those in the area must "wake up and pay attention," The Hill reports.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.