Florida’s residents were bracing themselves for the arrival on Wednesday of Hurricane Michael, a weather system which the national hurricane center has now classed a major storm.
Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, warned it could bring "total devastation" to parts of the southern US state.
Major hurricanes are those of Category 3 and above on the on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.
At 2pm ET (6pm GMT) on Thursday, the center of Michael was located about 310 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida, and carrying maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour.
"Life-threatening storm surge, hurricane force winds, and heavy rainfall expected along the northeastern Gulf Coast," the Miami-based forecaster said.
Mr Scott warned the residents of his state not to be complacent.
"It is a monstrous storm and the forecast (keeps) getting more dangerous," he said, adding that he has activated 2,500 members of the National Guard in response.
"The time to prepare is now."
Lynne Sladky/AP
A hurricane warning from the national hurricane center (NHC) was up across the Florida panhandle, a low-lying area of beachfront resorts and retirement communities on the northeastern Gulf coast, and a state of emergency has been declared in 35 of the state’s counties.
A mandatory evacuation for Bay County, located in the panhandle, affects some 120,000 residents, Sheriff Tommy Ford said.
Forecasters warned of coastal flooding, with storm surge and tides projected to raise water levels by as much as eight to 12 feet in some areas.
Rainfall of four to eight inches, and as much as a foot in isolated areas, "could lead to life-threatening flash floods," according to the NHC, which also warned that the storm’s approach could spawn tornados in northwestern Florida.
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Michael was forecast to have the power to uproot trees, block roads and knock out power for days by the time it hits Florida.
It is expected to weaken as it moves up into the southeastern United States.
AP
Televised images showed long lines at petrol stations and residents hurrying to fill sandbags, while tolls were suspended on some roads to aid movement ahead of the storm’s landfall.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has been in contact with officials about the incoming storm – which he termed "a big one" – and that the government, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was ready.
"We are very well prepared. FEMA’s ready. We’re all ready. Spoke with Governor Scott, spoke to everybody that you have to speak to," said Mr Trump.
The Carolinas are still recovering from Hurricane Florence, which left dozens dead and is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in damage last month.
It made landfall on the coast as a Category 1 hurricane on September 14 and drenched some parts of the state with 40 inches of rain.
Last year saw a string of catastrophic storms batter the western Atlantic – including Irma, Maria and Hurricane Harvey, which caused a record-equaling $125 billion in damage when it flooded the Houston metropolitan area.
Scientists have long warned that global warming will make cyclones more destructive, and some say the evidence for this may already be visible.
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