As Hurricane Michael—a monstrous Category 4 storm—approaches the Gulf Coast and the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour, please be praying that God will spare human life and minimize the potential damage to property. Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for 35 counties. Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate the area.
Samaritan’s Purse staff are keeping a close eye on Michael and its path, and are prepared with equipment ready to respond to help those in need. We have already been in touch with church partners in the path of the storm.
When it comes ashore, the powerful hurricane could unleash destructive winds, flooding rainfall, and a catastrophic storm surge of up to 14 feet.
“Even as our teams work hard to help those affected by Hurricane Florence, our eyes are on the Gulf Coast,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham. “Michael is the worst hurricane to hit the Florida Panhandle in the last 150 years. We are praying for everyone in its path and preparing to help in Jesus’ Name after the storm passes.”
Currently traveling at 13 miles per hour, it’s expected to make landfall today around Panama City, Florida, then move rapidly to the northeast, through parts of Alabama, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia.
The fear is that it will affect parts of the Carolinas still recovering from Hurricane Florence.
Credit: Samaritan’s Purse
