Hurricane Michael headed for Florida panhandle

FLORIDA — Hurricane Michael is expected to intensify and is forecast to hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 3 by midweek.
According to CBS News, Florida and Alabama have both declared states of emergency.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Michael could strengthen into a Category 3 and higher, meaning it will have sustained winds of over 111 miles per hour, by Tuesday night before making contact with the Panhandle on Wednesday.

According to the Weather Channel, this will be due to a combination of favorable upper-level winds and above-average sea-surface temperatures along Michael's path.
According to the Weather Channel, storm surge, damaging winds and heavy rains are likely to affect areas along the northeastern Gulf Coast.
Storm surge flooding of 8 to 12 feet is expected to occur along the immediate coastline near and east of where the center makes landfall.

According to CBS News, Florida Governor Rick Scott has added 700 more Florida National Guards troops to aide in storm preparation and response, bringing the total to well over 1,000.