Hurricane Michael Upgraded to a Category 5 at Time of U.S. Landfall

After a post-storm analysis by the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Michael has been upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane at landfall.

Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted a detailed post-storm analysis on all the data available and have now determined that the storm’s estimated intensity at landfall was 140 knots, or 160 miles per hour.

Michael is the first category 5 storm to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and is only the 4^th on record.

After landfall, Michael produced hurricane-force winds across the central Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia, with hurricane-force gusts occurring as far inland as Albany, Georgia.

Credit Georgia Department of Agriculture

NOAA estimates total damage from Michael in the United States at approximately $ 25 billion, with $4.7 billion in Georgia.

See NOAA release.

Full report here.