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Hurricane Michael coverage: Drone captures extensive damage

Hurricane Michael came ashore Wednesday as a massive Cat. 4 storm.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Hurricane Michael is history in the making in real time.

The destructive storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle, with catastrophic 155 mph wind and storm surge creating damage not likely to be realized until the coming hours.

Refresh this page for the latest updates on Hurricane Michael from the Panhandle to Tampa Bay.

More: Hurricane Michael Landfall | Cat. 4 storm arrives in Florida Panhandle

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11 p.m.

What a difference a few hours makes: Michael is barely hanging onto its hurricane status with 75 mph winds, the National Hurricane Center says. It is moving quickly off to the northeast at 20 mph.

10:15 p.m.

How bad is the damage at a middle school in Panama City? Bad enough to fly a drone through its gym. Storm chaser Brett Adair flew a drone in and out of the building, spotting a volleyball net still standing with debris thrown across the floor.

10 p.m.

Hurricane Michael continues to steadily weaken, with maximum sustained winds at 80 mph, according to the hurricane center.

8 p.m.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center says the top winds from Michael have decreased to 90 mph, and it is expected to become a tropical storm by Thursday morning. The storm, however, is expected to regain strength Thursday night and Friday when it moves off the East Coast.

7:18 p.m.

Officials confirm a person was killed as Hurricane Michael tore through the Florida Panhandle, sending a tree through a man's house.

Gadsden County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Anglie Hightower says they received a call around 6 p.m. Wednesday, saying a tree had crashed through the roof of the man's Greenboro home and trapped him.

Emergency crews were heading to the home, but downed power lines and blocked roads were making the trip difficult.

7 p.m.

Hurricane Michael continues to weaken -- it now is a 100-mph, Category 2 storm, the hurricane center says.

6:45 p.m.

A large tree falls onto a car driving on North Habana near Martin Luther King Jr. in Tampa. The driver said she was heading home from work when it came down.

Thankfully, she wasn't hurt.

6:08 p.m.

Closed earlier because of flooding, Tampa police reopened Bayshore Boulevard at Rome Avenue.

6 p.m.

Hurricane Michael continues to weaken; it now is a 115-mph storm and still a Category 3, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest update.

5:27 p.m.

Tyndall Air Force Base, located just west of Mexico Beach, on Facebook says it "took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael." Extensive damage is reported on the base.

Thankfully, there are no injuries reported.

Tyndall Air Force Base took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael. The base has sustained extensive damage. The Ride Out...

Posted by Tyndall Air Force Base on Wednesday, October 10, 2018

5:11 p.m.

A Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium scientist says the whipped-up surf from Hurricane Michael might not be enough to decimate red tide. And perhaps more worrisome in the short-term, onshore winds could push the irritants over land.

5:05 p.m.

Hundreds of miles away from Hurricane Michael's center, storm surge is the name of the game. Several locations from Tampa Bay northward have felt storm surge from about ankle deep to a couple of feet.

Video: Storm surge from Hurricane Michael a big issue in Crystal River

Video: Water level climbs up to marina in New Port Richey

Video: Peak high tide in Pass-a-Grille has water overtaking neighborhood roadways

And in Tallahassee, people there brace for strong wind gusts. A large crane used for the construction of a nearby hotel was brought down temporarily for safety.

Video: First bursts of strong winds from Hurricane Michael blow through Tallahassee, Florida

5 p.m.

As expected, Hurricane Michael has been weakening since making landfall. It now is a 125-mph, Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest update.

The hurricane center says Michael, with its low 919 mb pressure, is the strongest storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Video: Hurricane Michael's ominous eye makes landfall on Florida Panhandle

4:44 p.m.

CBS News published video of a hotel damaged in Panama City, Florida, with debris crashing onto cars and the ground below.

4:26 p.m.

Storm surge is inundating some businesses and their parking lots in Crystal River. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office has a running list of roads closed because of flooding.

4:15 p.m.

Tampa police closed northbound Bayshore Boulevard at Rome Avenue because of flooding and ask drivers to avoid the area.

4 p.m.

Hurricane Michael is a 140-mph storm located about 55 miles west-northwest of Tallahassee, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest update.

The hurricane center also is keeping tabs on the latest wind gusts from the storm. They include:

  • Marianna Florida airport: 102 mph
  • University of Florida/Weatherflow Mexico Beach: 83 mph
  • Panama City Beach National Ocean Service: 80 mph
  • Tallahassee International Airport: 71 mph

3:45 p.m.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott asks President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration, according to a news release. This follows the president's pre-landfall emergency declaration and allows federal resources to move more quickly to local communities across the Panhandle.

3:23 p.m.

It's about high tide time in Pass-a-Grille, and many streets that were flooded Tuesday are flooding again. Strong winds from Hurricane Michael brought a 1-3 feet storm surge to parts of the Tampa Bay area.

3:20 p.m.

A car that was parked in front of a boat ramp in Citrus County was washed away by flood waters Tuesday from Hurricane Michael. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office tweeted two photos of the car after it had been washed into the bay.

Photo: Citrus County Sheriff's Office

3:15 p.m.

A tornado warning was issued for Manatee and Sarasota counties. Hurricane Michael's outer bands extend well from its center, and some of the individual storms within those rain bands are rotating.

There are no immediate reports of damage.

3 p.m.

Hurricane Michael is a 150-mph storm located about 60 miles west of Tallahassee, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest update.

The latest wind gusts include the following:

  • Tyndall Air Force Base: 119 mph
  • Florida State University Panama City Campus: 116 mph
  • University of Florida/Weatherflow Mexico Beach: 104 mph
  • Panama City Treatment Plant: 94 mph

2 p.m.

With some of the first images now coming out of the hardest hit areas, it's time to start thinking about how to help people in need.

10News has a page set up to point people in the right direction. Whether you'd like to donate your time or money, click or tap this link for resources.

Live cameras: Watch Hurricane Michael make landfall in Florida

Photos: Hurricane Michael slams Florida Panhandle

1:30 p.m.

Hurricane Michael made landfall around 1:30 p.m. near Mexico Beach, Florida, as a Category 4 storm. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at 155 mph -- by far the strongest October hurricane to make landfall on the continental U.S., according to Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach.

No other storm of similar intensity has ever hit the Panhandle in recorded history.

More: At a Category 4, Hurricane Michael is strongest storm ever to hit Florida Panhandle

1:16 p.m.

Because several Citrus County schools are being used as shelters from the storm, there will be no school Thursday, Oct. 11, for students or staff, the district says.

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