The latest on Hurricane Michael: Storm is still strengthening as it heads toward FL panhandle

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Here is the latest on Hurricane Michael, its forecast affecting Sumter, South Carolina, and the Southeast and related information you need to know.

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3:55 p.m.

Saint Leo University will close its education centers at Shaw Air Force Base and in Sumter on Thursday, Oct. 11 because of the threat of Hurricane Michael. University officials hope to open the centers again on Friday.

--- 1 p.m. Forecasters said it could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, triggering flash flooding in a corner of the country still recovering from Hurricane Florence. "I know people are fatigued from Florence, but don't let this storm catch you with your guard down," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said, adding, "A number of homes have rooftop tarps that could be damaged or blown away with this wind." While Florence took five days between the time it turned into a hurricane and the moment it blew ashore in the Carolinas, Michael gave Florida what could amount to just two days' notice. It developed into a hurricane on Monday. --- From The Associated Press --- 11:45 a.m. The Palmetto S.C. Region of the American Red Cross is readying its workforce and staying in close contact with its government and community partners as Hurricane Michael continues its travels toward the Florida Panhandle. Those efforts are happening as hundreds of Red Cross disaster-workers continue to help residents impacted by Hurricane Florence. Monday night, more than 30 people spent the night in one shelter in South Carolina. Already, the Red Cross has provided nearly 24,000 overnight shelter stays in the state. Together with its partners, the Red Cross has distributed more than 200,000 meals and snacks to South Carolinians in need. --- 11 a.m. Hurricane Michael quickly intensified into a Category 2 over warm Gulf of Mexico waters Tuesday amid fears it would strike Florida on Wednesday as an even stronger hurricane. Mandatory evacuations were issued as beach dwellers rushed to board up homes just ahead of what could be a devastating hit. The speed of the storm barreling toward the Florida Panhandle — Michael was already well north of Cuba and moving north-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph) — gave many people a dwindling number of hours to prepare and flee before being caught up in damaging wind and rain. "Guess what? That's today," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said. "If they tell you to leave, you have to leave." The hurricane's effects will be felt far from its eye. Forecasters said Michael's storm winds stretched 370 miles (595 kilometers) across, with hurricane-strength winds extending up to 35 miles (55 kilometers) from the center. --- From The Associated Press --- 10:30 a.m. The death toll from Hurricane Florence has increased to a total of 51 as another hurricane now bears down on the southeastern United States. North Carolina's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that the death of a 68-year-old man in Onslow County on Sept. 20 was a storm-related fatality. The office says he died of a "natural disease" made worse by storm cleanup. His name wasn't immediately released. That raises North Carolina's toll to 40. Another 11 deaths in South Carolina and Virginia have been blamed on Florence. The Carolinas are bracing for more wind and rain on Wednesday from Hurricane Michael, which is churning toward Florida's Gulf Coast and is expected to drive inland after landfall. --- From The Associated Press --- 10 a.m. Hurricane hunter aircraft report Michael is still strengthening. Currently, maximum sustained winds are at 110 miles per hour as it is 335 miles south-southeast of Apalachicola, Florida. It is expected to be a major hurricane at landfall. The forecast shows it heading straight toward Sumter after making landfall Wednesday and may reach the central South Carolina area Thursday. --- From The Associated Press --- 9:50 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9 Emergency officials across the Carolinas are warning residents to monitor Hurricane Michael, which is expected to move through the region after coming ashore along Florida's Gulf Coast. They're expecting heavy rain, tropical storm-force winds and tornados beginning Wednesday. South Carolina's emergency management director Kim Stenson said the severity will depend on the storm's intensity after it blows over Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Residents of the Carolinas are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which struck the Atlantic coastline last month. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the southern two-thirds of the South Carolina coast, from Florida up to the South Santee River. --- 9:55 a.m., Monday, Oct. 8 Shaw Air Force Base is operating at a Hurricane Condition 4 (HURCON 4), which means destructive winds are possible within 72 hours. The base is maintaining normal operations.