Emergency managers are continuing to monitor freshly minted Hurricane Michael, and a Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect for east-facing shores of Louisiana and Mississippi, but the storm appears headed for landfall at the Florida Panhandle or the Florida Big Bend area on Wednesday.
Biloxi Police, however, this morning closed the low-lying section of Cedar Lake Road near the Cedar Lake bridge after rain and high tide inundated the roadway. In fact, forecasters say a strong east wind will keep tides one to two feet above normal today and tonight.
The National Hurricane Center early this morning issued Tropical Storm and Hurricane watches for east of the Mississippi/Alabama border before upgrading Micahel to a hurricane.
On the current forecast track, the center of Michael will pass near the western tip of Cuba within the hour or so and move into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by tonight. Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday and Tuesday night, is expected to move inland over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area on Wednesday, and then move northeastward across the southeastern United States Wednesday night and Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts. Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Michael is forecast to become a major hurricane by Tuesday or Tuesday night.
See the Michael track and forecast
See the current conditions and forecast for Biloxi
