Passengers on board the Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas ship filmed the destructive force of Hurricane Michael on Monday night.
Footage showed the cruise ship being tossed around by strong seas and winds, reports Emily Crane for Daily mail.com
What Happened?
The ship felt the outer bands of the hurricane south-west of Cuba as the storm heavily delayed the ship’s arrival into Havana because of which the ship was forced to sit for several hours closer to Florida.
The hurricane was expected to make landfall in Florida’s Panhandle or Big Bend on Wednesday before crossing Georgia and the Carolinas as a weaker storm.
The Deadly Storm Recorded
Passengers on board a cruise ship have captured the destructive force of Hurricane Michael as they were forced to ride out the strengthening Category 2 storm off the coast of Cuba.
Passenger tweeted that the storm had heavily delayed their arrival into Havana because the ship was forced to sit for several hours waiting for it to move through the Yucatán Channel.
The video showed the cruise ship being caught up south-west of the storm near Isla de la Juventud in Cuba as they were engulfed by fierce lightening, strong winds and rocky seas.
Michael strengthened to a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds on Tuesday as it made its way towards the Florida coast.
Warning Issued
The storm, located over the Gulf of Mexico, was expected to make landfall in Florida’s Panhandle or Big Bend on Wednesday before crossing Georgia and the Carolinas as a weaker storm.
The National Hurricane Center has warned it will bring ‘life threatening’ storm surges and heavy rainfall, while Florida’s governor Rick Scott said it could bring ‘total devastation’ to parts of the southern US state.
Forecasted Devastation
Forecasters said Michael could potentially be the most powerful storm to strike the Panhandle in at least a decade.
Parts of Florida’s Big Bend area could see up to 12 feet of storm surge, while Michael also could dump up to a foot of rain over some Panhandle communities as it moves inland.
Florida Governor Rick Scott called Michael a ‘monstrous hurricane’ with a devastating potential from high winds, storm surge and heavy rains.
‘I can not emphasize enough. Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the FL panhandle in decades. It will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous. You cannot hide from this storm. You can rebuild your home, you cannot rebuild your life,’ he said.
‘I understand that evacuations are inconvenient, but this storm will bring torrential rain and heavy wind, along with dangerous storm surge throughout the panhandle. If you have been told to leave, you need to go. It could be the difference between life and death.’
Evacuations Ordered
Mandatory evacuation orders went into effect Tuesday morning for some 120,000 people in Panama City Beach and across other low-lying parts of the coast as the hurricane approaches.
Scott warned that people in potentially affected areas should not take any chances against such a large storm, adding that ‘no one’s going to survive’ such a wall of water.
Lines at gasoline stations grew as people left and tolls were waived in a bid encourage evacuations. Residents who opted to stay emptied grocery store shelves of water and other supplies.
Disclaimer: This video is intended for informational purpose only. This may not be construed as a news item or advice of any sort. Please consult the experts in that field for the authenticity of the presentations.
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Source: Daily Mail, TIME on YouTube
