Cat 3 Hurricane Michael Just Hours Away From Impact; Forecast Cone Stretches From Florida To New Jersey; Hurricane Hunter Flying Over Michael: "This Is Not The Storm That You Want To Ride Out
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, this is an important person. She is not the only woman, only person speaking for the Democratic Party, but there you go.</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We got to leave there it, guys. Thanks very much. "Erin Burnett OutFront" starts right now.</s>KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And "OutFront" next, we have breaking news. Hurricane Michael now a major Category 3 storm, gaining strength as it closes in on the Florida Panhandle. I'll speak to a pilot flying over the storm who says no one should ride this one out. Plus, Nikki Haley suddenly quits as U.N. ambassador. Why now? And who are the five people on President Trump's short list to replace her? And Mitch McConnell is not done fighting after the Kavanaugh battle. Who is his new target? Let's go "OutFront." Good evening, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan in for Erin Burnett. "OutFront" tonight breaking news, a Cat 3 massive storm that is gaining strength. Hurricane Michael now called a historic life- threatening storm with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour. At this hour, the storm is intensifying as it heads towards the Florida Panhandle. Michael is expected to make landfall tomorrow. President Trump already declaring a state of emergency in Florida and ordering Homeland Security and FEMA to coordinate all relief operations. This is Michael, we're going to show you, as seen from space. Terrifying. The fast-moving storm is heading north over the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. More than 20 million people across five states are under hurricane watches or warnings tonight. Michael is forecast to be the strongest storm to hit the U.S. this year. In all, some 300 miles of coastline are threatened with devastating winds, with storm surge up to 13 feet, and up to a foot of rain in parts of the state, bringing, of course, life-threatening flooding. Perhaps most in danger are those living on islands off the coast. The bridges connecting them to the mainland may soon be closed, leaving people nowhere to go. Residents are being urged to get out by tonight, or it may be too late. Evacuation orders have been issued for 22 Florida counties. Florida's Governor Rick Scott, he made his warning crystal clear today.</s>GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: We're going to do everything we can to help you, but do not wait. If there's an evacuation order, go to safety. If you're on the fence, don't think about it. Do it. This storm can kill you.</s>BOLDUAN: We are covering this dangerous storm with reporters spread out across Florida's Panhandle. Let's begin with Meteorologist Allison Chinchar. She's at the CNN weather center for us. Allison, what is the latest on the path for Hurricane Michael?</s>ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. So we still expect landfall with Hurricane Michael to impact somewhere along the Florida Panhandle likely late tomorrow afternoon. So, again, we're now down to less than 12 hours. Right now winds are 120 miles per hour moving north at about 12 miles per hour. But it is still possible that this storm could intensify a little bit more before it makes landfall. Now keep in mind a little bit more, well, let's say we jump up 10 miles per hour up to 130, that actually makes it a Category 4. So, we're close enough that it's something we have to keep a close eye on even though the official hurricane center forecast keeps it only at a 3. Here is a look at that track again. Some time Wednesday afternoon is when we expect it to make landfall over the Panhandle of Florida. From there, it pushes up towards states like Georgia, South and North Carolina, and eventually bringing some of the heavy rain bands up towards Virginia as well. Storm surge is going to be one of the biggest concerns with this, especially along the coastline. This purple region here, including the city of Apalachicola, we're now talking storm surge of 9 feet to 13 feet. The red areas you see here, including Panama City, now you're talking 6 feet to 9 feet. But even a city like Tampa that seems very far away still likely to get storm surge of upwards of about 2 feet to 4 feet. Wind is also going to be a concern. Wind was not really the key component to Hurricane Florence, but this is a different storm. We are still expecting those forecast winds to be upwards of 100 miles per hour, and that's going to be widespread. The unfortunate thing there, Kate, is that that can then lead to power outages, not just along the coastline, but even cities far inland, like Columbia or even Atlanta could end up dealing with widespread power outages.</s>BOLDUAN: Wow. All right, Allison, thank you so much. I'm joined on the phone now by Richard Henning, a flight director with NOAA's hurricane hunters. He's on board a plane that just flew over Hurricane Michael. Richard, can you hear me?</s>RICHARD HENNING, NOAA METEOROLOGIST AND FLIGHT DIRECTOR (on the phone): Yes, Kate, I can hear you just fine.</s>BOLDUAN: Thank you so much. You have the very latest information on this storm. What are you seeing?</s>HENNING: Well, right now we have three aircraft actually in the storm. We have the NOAA high altitude Gulfstream IV Jet. We're at 45,000 feet flying across the top of the storm. We also have</s>BOLDUAN: So this is a major storm. And there is going to be another update, another national update at the top of the hour. Do you think that it's going to be gaining strength by then?</s>HENNING: I'm not sure they're going to bump up the intensity any in the next advisory or not. It all depends on what the aircraft finds down lower in the eye wall. However, the forecast with the hurricane center is for the storm to continue to intensify this evening up through the upper end of a Category 3, close to Category 4 intensity. So people need to be ready for that. And when you get right down to it, if you live along the shoreline, it doesn't really make much of a difference if it's a strong Category 3 or a low-end Category 4. For the destructive power, it's not very -- there is not much difference.</s>BOLDUAN: So from your perspective, flying through this with the latest data, when the governor says that this could be -- this is a monstrous storm and it could be the worst destruction in a decade for the Panhandle, you don't think he is overstating it?</s>HENNING: Oh, not at all. I think you actually have to go all the way back to 1975 for the old-timers. There was a storm, Hurricane Eloise that followed a similar track and was very destructive. But there weren't nearly as many people living along the coastline in the Panhandle back then. Since then we had Hurricane Opal in 1995, Hurricane Ivan in 2004. They were both very, very destructive. And I think that unfortunately, Michael is following right along with those types of storms, that type of devastation.</s>BOLDUAN: That is terrifying. You -- for perspective, you also flew over Hurricane Florence several times. How does Hurricane Michael compare to Florence? Do they look different?</s>HENNING: They are different storms. Hurricane Florence was much larger in terms of diameter. Hurricane Michael is more compact and intense. Hurricane Florence was weakening as it approached the coast. Hurricane Michael is intensifying as it's approaching the coast. So they're actually very different storms.</s>BOLDUAN: I hope we still have you. I hope we still have you, Richard. What worries you most as you're flying over this storm and this storm is getting closer and closer to land?</s>HENNING: Well, again, the risk of storm surge and very, very powerful wind is increasing, so everyone needs to heed the warnings of the local emergency management folks with this storm. This is not the storm that you want to ride out.</s>BOLDUAN: Richard Henning, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time.</s>HENNING: Yes, ma'am. And again, for all your audience listening on the Florida Panhandle, I would strongly urge everyone to have a plan and execute that plan right away for getting out.</s>BOLDUAN: This coming from the man flying over this storm right now. That's an important warning. Thank you again.</s>HENNING: Thank you, ma'am.</s>BOLDUAN: All right. "OutFront" with me now, AccuWeather Storm Chaser Reed Timmer. He's on his way to Panama City Beach, Florida to ride the storm out this hurricane. Reed, you just heard what the NOAA hurricane hunter said. I mean he called this a very dangerous situation and that the storm is likely to gain strength still. What are you anticipating?</s>REED TIMMER, ACCUWEATHER STORM CHASER: Well, I can certainly reiterate just how dangerous this storm is going to be. It's intensifying. That's very different than Hurricane Florence that was weakening as it came in. Hurricane Harvey if you may remember last year was an intensifying storm rapidly as it came in as a Category 4 down near Rockport, Texas, and the wind damage was absolutely catastrophic from that. Any weak structure would be completely knocked down by winds of that. And with 125 miles per hour sustained winds you have gusts much stronger than that. That's basically like a widespread EF-2 or EF-3 tornado in terms of the damage. And then you have that catastrophic storm surge as well. Anywhere near and just to the right of the center, and that's going to extend all the way down to even north of the Tampa Bay area. You have all different kinds of inlet there's and con cavity along the Florida Panhandle shoreline which is very storm surge-prone. So we have those onshore winds just hammering, battering the coast. And it's just not survivable on those barrier islands.</s>BOLDUAN: I mean, the winds, just even the thought of 120 sustained winds-mile-per-hour winds is a terrifying thought. I want to show our viewers, Reed, video of Hurricane Dennis from 2005. It's the last time that a major hurricane hit the Florida Panhandle. When you see the destruction that was done back then, just how vulnerable is the area where you're going to be?</s>TIMMER: It is incredibly vulnerable. And looking back through the AccuWeather archives, all the way back to 1975 I could find a hurricane that was similar, that took a similar track at least that landfall that was Hurricane Eloise there that came in as a Category 3 with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour. This one could even be stronger than that. It's a very compact storm. Who knows how strong this could intensify. As the hurricane hunter pilot said, there is not much of a difference between a strong Category 3 and a weak Category 4. Either one of those are going to be deadly, especially along those barrier islands near and just to the right of center. Another hurricane that took a similar track was Hurricane Opal in 1995. That came in further west near the Pensacola area and brought a 15-foot storm surge there in Pensacola. There are dozens of fatalities from both of those storms. So a storm like this, it's fast-moving. It's strengthening as it comes in. It's going to have a quick devastating storm surge. It's going to come in fast along with those winds, and it's just something you don't want to be a part of.</s>BOLDUAN: Reed, what do folks need to be prepared for if they decide to stick this out? Do you think its worse that we're talking about these winds that are going to be coming ashore or the storm surge?</s>TIMMER: Well, I think its both right near the shoreline. You have those winds and you have the storm surge. And eventually it's going to be too dangerous to leave. And the surge in the water will come up well in advance of the storm system. So now is the time to leave and get out of the path of this. But it's certainly a one-two punch with both that wind and the storm surge, very different from Hurricane Florence.</s>BOLDUAN: And very different from Hurricane Florence, and just as dangerous, if not more. We're going to check in with you throughout the week. Reed, we know you take many precautions to be safe as this is your job, my friend. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, Reed. Thank you. We'll talk to you soon.</s>TIMMER: Thank you.</s>BOLDUAN: "OutFront" for us next, massive evacuation orders as Hurricane Michael strengthens. I'm going to talk to a mayor whose city could be right in the path of the storm tonight. Plus, the President tonight says there are five people on his short list to replace U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Who are they? Lindsey Graham says Trump jokingly asked if he wanted to be attorney general. Was it really a joke?