STEER - HURRICANE MICHAEL: PRELIMINARY VIRTUAL ASSESSMENT TEAM (P-VAT) REPORT

After a period of rapid intensification, Hurricane Michael made landfall around 1:45 pm EDT on Wednesday, October 10, 2018 near Mexico Beach, Florida, as a strong Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 155 mph and a minimum central pressure of 919 MB. Based on these intensity measures, Michael is considered the fourth most-powerful hurricane to hit the United States, behind the Labor Day Hurricane (1935), Hurricane Camille (1969) and Hurricane Andrew (1992), and the most powerful storm to impact the Florida Panhandle in recorded history. Moreover, as the storm remained at Category 3 intensity as it crossed into Georgia and continued to deliver
tropical force winds and significant rainfall as it moved into the Carolinas and up the Eastern seaboard, Michael caused wind damage, triggered flooding and resulted in deaths in a number of states, including those still recovering from Hurricane Florence. This report overviews the meteorological features of Hurricane Michael, the regulatory context and pre-event response, the impacts of this storm event, and current conditions by collocating publicly reported information. The report places particular emphasis on Florida, but also summarizes impacts to other affected states. This Preliminary Virtual Assessment Team (P-VAT) Report represents the first product of StEER’s larger coordinated response to this event, informing and supporting other research teams seeking to learn from this disaster.