Having crossed the Gulf of Mexico over the past few days, Hurricane Michael is preparing to make landfall along the Florida panhandle. Tropical storm warnings have been extended from New Orleans to Tampa, while residents of western Florida are under a mandatory evacuation order. Despite the potential impact the hurricane may have on the Gulf Coast, the latest forecasts show little, if any impact Michael will bring to Tallapoosa County.

“Right now, it is forecast to be a Category 3 hurricane when it makes landfall in the Panama City Beach area (today),” Tallapoosa County EMA Director Jason Moran said. “The current projections show we could see some effects around 4 to 8 p.m. We could see wind gusts up to 20 (mph) and 1 to 1 and a half inches of rain.”