On Wednesday, Hurricane Michael barreled into the coast of Florida’s Panhandle before traveling through the top of the state and making its way into Georgia and the Carolinas.
The storm made landfall as the most powerful hurricane to ever touch the region and the third most powerful in US continental history.
Now, as daylight has arrived in the affected areas and Michael has weakened to a tropical storm, residents and officials have been able to begin assessing the damage caused by the storm. It is catastrophic.
According to the Washington Post, fallen trees caused by Michael have claimed at least two lives in the region. One man just outside of Tallahassee and an 11-year-old girl in Southwest Georgia.
While not much information on the identities of the deceased has been released, reports say that the child died after debris crashed into her family’s mobile home.
In Florida, officials have reported over 400,000 power outages, including entire counties. As for Georgia, 174,000 are without power and close to 180,000 others through Alabama and the Carolinas.
Officials are urging residents in affected areas to stay inside their homes and listen to their local officials. State troopers, national guardsmen, tree surgeons, FEMA officials, and First Responders are heading to the Panhandle from their designated stations throughout the state.
