Category 4 Hurricane Michael being felt on Florida coast
posted by Dennis Elliott -
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Michael's leading edge careened onto northwest Florida's white-sand beaches as a still-growing Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, lashing the coast with tropical storm-force winds and rain and pushing a storm surge that could cause catastrophic damage well inland once it makes landfall.
The unexpected brute quickly sprang from a weekend tropical depression with top winds growing to 145 mph (230 kph), the most powerful hurricane in recorded history for this stretch of the Florida coast.