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MICHAEL'S DEATH TOLL JUMPS; UTTER DEVASTATION IN PANHANDLE--LIVE UPDATES

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10-12-18

  • The death toll from Hurricane Michael has jumped to at least 11, and FEMA Administrator Brock Long said he expects that number to continue to rise. As of Friday morning, more than 1.4 million utility customers from Florida to Virginia were without power.

    "We're still in life-safety mode," Long told CBS News. "We're not even close to having discussions on rebuilding yet."

    Mexico Beach, Florida, was one of the hardest-hit areas. Entire blocks of homes were obliterated in the small Panhandle community.

    Thousands of National Guard troops and emergency workers are helping the survivors. On Friday morning, Michael's remnants were over the Atlantic Ocean, lashing the New England coast with strong winds and heavy rain.

    Follow Hurricane Michael updates below

  • Michael death toll keeps climbing

    Five more deaths are being blamed on what was Hurricane Michael, bringing the new death toll to at least 11.

    Virginia State Police say they were called in Thursday afternoon to help find James E. King Jr., 45, who was swept away from his vehicle by floodwaters.

    Shortly after 10:30 p.m., special agents with the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and local volunteer firefighters found King's body downstream.

    Four other deaths are being attributed to Michael in Virginia.

    In addition, authorities say 4 people died from storm-related incidents in Florida and one each in North Carolina and Georgia.

    The person who died in Georgia was an 11-year-old girl.

  • Michael out to sea but some effects still being felt

    One-time Category 4 Hurricane Michael was a post-tropical cyclone moving across the Atlantic early Friday, the National Hurricane Center said. But people in the Florida Panhandle were only beginning to deal with the destruction in its wake.

    As of 5 a.m. Friday, Michael's core was 85 miles east-northeast of Norfolk, Virginia and 275 miles southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts, speeding east-northeast at 29 mph, the NHC said. It was still packing 65 mph maximum sustained winds.

    The hurricane center forecast that, "The center of Michael will move away from the United States today and move rapidly across the open Atlantic Ocean tonight through Sunday.

    " ... Some additional strengthening is expected today andtonight as the post-tropical cyclone moves across the Atlantic."

  • Michael's not done yet

    The National Hurricane Center said early Friday Michael was getting stronger as it was transitioning into a post-tropical storm. It still had damaging winds and was generating "life-threatening flash flooding ... over portions of North Carolina and the southern mid-Atlantic" states, the center said.

    As of 2 a.m. EDT, Michael's core was some 65 miles east-northeast of Norfolk, Virginia with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. It was heading northeast at 25 mph -- very fast for a storm.

    According to the NHC, "On the forecast track, the center of Michael will move away from the coast of the United States during the next few hours and then begin to race east-northeastward across the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

    " ... Michael is expected to continue to strengthen while becoming a post-tropical low during the next few hours."

  • Michael about to move to Atlantic Ocean

    As of 11 p.m. Thursday, Tropical Storm Michael was poised to move off the Virginia coast and become a post-tropical cyclone, the National Hurricane Center said. Damaging winds and life-threatening flash floods are still occuring in portions of North Carolina and the southern mid-Atlantic states.

    Michael had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, and was moving at 25 mph. Tropical storm conditions are occurring over portions of extreme eastern North Carolina, including the Outer Banks.

  • Updated power outage numbers

    There are over 1.5 million without power in six states as of 10 p.m. Thursday, officials said.

    A breakdown by state of the power outages. All numbers are approximate:

    • 326,691 customers without power in Florida
    • 37,966 customers without power in Alabama
    • 133,333 customers without power in Georgia
    • 92,000 customers without power in South Carolina
    • 731,596 customers without power in North Carolina
    • 271,487 customers without power in Virginia
  • Some Floridians return to find homes destroyed

    Deirdre Hawthorne and her family rode out the storm with more than 200 other people in a shelter, CBS News correspondent Nikki Battiste reports. On her way home, she said she was filled with "dread." She has called Bristol, Florida, home for the last 18 years.

    CBS News was with her when she saw her house for the first time. Somehow it was still standing beneath a twisted knot of fallen trees. Her daughter Amanda had to find another way into the house.

    Amanda said she was "devastated, scared, happy."

    A tree happened to fall the other way, narrowly missing their home. But not everyone was so lucky.

    Watch Battiste's report from "CBS Evening News" below:

     
  • Michael forecast as of 8 p.m. ET

    As of 8 p.m. ET, the NHC said Tropical Storm Michael is losing its tropical characteristics, however "damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding" is still happening over portions of North Carolina and Virginia.

    The storm was located about 5 miles northwest of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and is moving northeast near 24 mph and is expected to continue in that direction with an increase in forward speed through Thursday evening. Michael will turn toward the east-northeast at an even faster forward speed expected Friday and Saturday.

    NHC said Michael will cross into southeastern Virginia during the next couple of hours and then move into the western Atlantic Ocean overnight. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher wind gusts. NHC forecasts Michael to intensify as it becomes a post-tropical low over the Atlantic late Thursday into Friday.

    Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles, primarily over water to the southeast of Michael's center. A sustained wind of 45 mph and a gust of 67 mph was recently reported at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina, NHC said.

    181011-nhc-tropical-storm-michael-8pm.png

    A look at the forecast for Tropical Storm Michael as of 8 p.m. ET on Thu., Oct. 11, 2018.

    National Hurricane Center
  • Florida psychiatric hospital "cut off" by Michael

    State officials say Hurricane Michael left Florida's largest psychiatric hospital "entirely cut off."

    A spokesman with the Florida Department of Children and Families says Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee has been running on emergency generators. A helicopter dropped water and food at the facility on Thursday after a tree downed during the storm caused a water line to break.

    Landlines and cellphones are also down at the hospital, which has nearly 1,000 residents and more than 300 staff. Staff are using emergency radios to stay in contact with first responders.

    Many roads in and around the facility are blocked, but 50 staff from two other state mental health facilities are being brought in to assist.

    Patients at the facility have been committed involuntarily either through civil or criminal cases.

  • "CBS Evening News" on the scene covering Michael's wrath

    "CBS Evening News" will cover the deadly path of destruction as entire communities are devastated in wake of Hurricane Michael.

     

    CBS News' Jeff Glor recently posted an image above Mexico Beach, Florida, showing Michael's fury.

  • Michael forecast as of 5 p.m. ET

    As of 5 p.m. ET, Michael is still producing "life-threatening flash flooding" across portions of North Carolina and Virginia, while "damaging tropical-storm-force wind gusts are occurring over portions of Virginia and central and eastern North Carolina.

    The storm was located about 20 miles north-northwest of Raleigh, North Carolina, and is moving northeast at about 24 mph. Maximum sustained winds are at 50 mph with higher gusts. NHC said Michael is forecast to intensify as it becomes a post-tropical low over the Atlantic late Thursday into Friday.

    181011-nhc-michael-5pm.png

    A look at the forecast for Tropical Storm Michael as of 5 p.m. ET on Thu., Oct. 11, 2018.

    National Hurricane Center

    Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles, primarily over water to the southeast of the center, NHC adds. A wind gust of 53 mph was recently reported at Danville, Virginia, and a gust of 56 mph was reported at Burlington, North Carolina. NHC also added a sustained wind of 51 mph and a gust of 59 mph was reported at the Johnny Mercer Pier in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

    NHC says Michael is moving toward the northeast and is expected to head that direction through the night. A turn toward the east-northwest is expected Friday and Saturday. Michael's center will move across eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia tonight and move in the western Atlantic Ocean tonight.

  • Michael by the numbers

    Hurricane history: First Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in Florida's Panhandle since record-keeping began in 1851.

    Top winds: 155 mph at landfall, strong enough to completely destroy homes and cause weekslong power outages.

    Powerful pressure: 919 millibars minimum pressure in the eye.

    High water: Estimated peak storm surge of 9 feet and 14 feet from Mexico Beach east through Apalachee Bay, according to the National Hurricane Center.

    Storm riders: Roughly 375,000 people in Florida were warned to evacuate; many refused, including 285 people in Mexico Beach where Michael made landfall.

    Rescued: 47 helped out of hard-hit areas along Florida's coastline, and 20 people in flooded neighborhoods in North Carolina.

    Staying safe: Nearly 6,700 people took refuge in 54 shelters in Florida.

    Power outages: Roughly 1 million customers in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina were without power at one point.

    Food and water: 2 million ready-to-eat meals, 1 million gallons of water and 40,000 10-pound bags of ice ready for distribution in Florida.

    The human cost: At least six people have been confirmed dead. Falling trees killed a man in Gadsden County, Florida, and a man in Iredell County, North Carolina. An 11-year-old girl in Seminole County, Georgia, was killed when a carport blew through the roof of her home.

  • Florida Gov. Rick Scott asks for debate delay in Senate race

    U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, left, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott are seen in this combination photo.

    U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (L) and Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

    Reuters

    Florida Gov. Rick Scott asked to delay a debate with Sen. Bill Nelson for two weeks so he can focus on response-and-recovery efforts following Hurricane Michael. Scott, a Republican, issued a statement Thursday asking CNN to postpone the debate with the Democratic incumbent, which was originally scheduled for this coming Tuesday.

    Scott cited "catastrophic destruction caused by Hurricane Michael" and said he's certain Nelson agrees the response should be a priority. He said, "We appreciate CNN understanding the dire situation in North Florida," and added that Scott "will have no time for campaigning in the next few weeks as he focuses exclusively on recovery efforts for the foreseeable future."

     
  • Dramatic drone video shows decimated school

    Dramatic drone video shows extensive damage to a school in Florida's Panama City, giving a sense of Hurricane Michael's ferocity. The video shows collapsed roofing and walls, scattered debris and mangled building materials.

    FEMA Administrator Brock Long said it could take months, or even years, for some of the hardest-hit areas to recover from the storm.

     
  • Water rescues carried out in North Carolina

    Bands of rain from Hurricane Michael lashed the western part of North Carolina, causing some water rescues and a landslide that closed a road. Gov. Roy Cooper urged all residents to be on alert as the storm blows through the state.

    Cooper said officials were monitoring several rivers for potential flooding in the central, eastern and western parts of the state, though not the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Florence last month. In western North Carolina's Henderson County, emergency services director Jimmy Brissie said first responders have been busy since the early morning helping people in cars trapped in high water and residents who need help leaving low-lying areas.

    Brissie said about 20 people were pulled out of neighborhoods inundated by flash flooding. He said he's not aware of any injuries.

    McDowell County emergency services director Adrienne Jones said a landslide closed a road and a swift-water rescue crew pulled a man to safety in Buncombe County. In Asheville, two people in a hammock who found themselves surrounded by floodwaters were pulled onto an inflatable boat.

  • Judge rejects Florida voter registration extension

    Buildings damaged by Hurricane Michael are seen in Panama City, Florida, Oct. 11, 2018.

    Buildings damaged by Hurricane Michael are seen in Panama City, Fla., on Thu., Oct. 11, 2018.

    Reuters

    A federal judge rejected a push to extend Florida's voter registration deadline because of Hurricane Michael, saying there's "no justification" to do so. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled late Wednesday against the Florida Democratic Party, which called the Republican-led response to the storm's disruption confusing and inadequate.

    Florida's deadline to register to vote was Tuesday, 29 days ahead of the Nov. 6 election. Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner told local election supervisors that if their offices were closed Tuesday due to the hurricane, then they could accept paper applications for a single day once their offices reopen.

  • Coroner IDs girl killed by flying carport

     

    A coroner has identified the 11-year-old girl who was killed as Hurricane Michael blew through south Georgia. Seminole County coroner Chad Smith on Thursday identified the girl as Sarah Radney.

    Smith said an official cause of death had not been determined but that it would likely be massive blunt force trauma. Seminole County Emergency Management Agency director Travis Brooks said strong winds picked up a portable carport Wednesday and dropped it on the roof of the home sheltering the girl.

    One of the carport's legs punctured the roof and hit the girl in the head.

  • Trump defends attending rally as Michael hit Florida

    President Trump speaks about Hurricane Michael prior to signing a bill into law at the White House in Washington Oct. 11, 2018.

    President Trump speaks about Hurricane Michael prior to signing a bill into law at the White House in Washington on Thu., Oct. 11, 2018.

    Reuters

    President Trump defended attending a campaign rally on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania as Hurricane Michael raked across Florida. "I couldn't tell people that had been standing in line for a day and a half wanting to get into the arena that I'm not going," the president told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday morning.

    "We had great control over what we were doing, both on Air Force One, at the White House and in Florida," Mr. Trump said. The president is planning to attend similar rallies in Ohio on Friday night and in Kentucky on Saturday night.

    Mr. Trump is expected to visit areas affected by Michael early next week.

  • Helicopter crew rescues 9 from bathroom in Florida

     

    The U.S. Coast Guard in Mobile, Alabama, said its crews have rescued 27 people, mostly from damaged homes. Petty Officer Third Class Ronald Hodges told The Associated Press that a Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew pulled nine people from a bathroom of their Panama City home after their roof collapsed Wednesday afternoon.

    Crews were out early Thursday searching for more victims. Hodges said the number of rescues remains fluid and there were no reports of deaths so far from the Coast Guard's missions.

    Florida emergency officials said they're starting to transfer patients out of damaged health care facilities. They're also trying to figure out the extent of damage to roads and bridges.

    A huge swath of Interstate 10, the main east-west route near the coast, was blocked off due to damage.

  • Georgia girl killed by leg of carport, not tree

     

    Authorities are correcting early reports about the death of an 11-year-old girl as Hurricane Michael blew over southwest Georgia. Seminole County Emergency Management Agency director Travis Brooks said it wasn't a tree but a carport that hit her home and killed her.

    He said strong winds picked up a portable carport Wednesday and dropped it down on the roof. One of the carport's legs punctured the roof and hit the girl in the head.

    Brooks said he wasn't able to get out much overnight to fully assess the damage in the county because downed power lines and trees made roads impassable in the darkness. But he said the sheriff told him it looked like a bomb had gone off.

  • Michael appeared to do its worst in Panama City

     

    In Panama City, Florida, Hurricane Michael appeared to do its worst, "CBS Evening News" anchor Jeff Glor reports. Some houses and businesses were unrecognizable.

    The roof of a school gymnasium was torn open. An entire freight train was pushed clear off the rails.

    Sabrina Marshall was inside her home as parts were torn away from her. "And the door just -- psssh -- and the roof flew off," she said.

    Downed trees and tangled power lines have made many streets impassable. "I was in a bunker, almost a bunker," Karen Hasket said, "and just prayers."

    At Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, the devastation was extensive. An entire roof was stripped from an aircraft hanger.

    Overturned trucks and debris littered the tarmac. The base commander had ordered an evacuation on Monday.

    SEE ALL VIDEOS PLUS 90 PHOTOS

    https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/hurricane-michael-damage-florida-flooding-georgia-power-outage-weather-deaths-today-live-updates/