6:50 p.m. Escambia drivers should stay off roads starting at 3 a.m. Wednesday

Escambia County is warning drivers to stay off the roads starting at 3 a.m. Wednesday as tropical storm force winds are forecast to start hitting the area, and bridge closures could be announced.

The latest update from the county said possible sustained tropical storm force winds of 39 mph, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph, are expected throughout the county beginning early morning Wednesday and continue through late Thursday.

The county is asking people to postpone any unnecessary driving since winds will make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

Residents are strongly encouraged to stay off the roads starting at 3 a.m. Wednesday, and bridge closures are highly likely, the county warns.

Storm urge of 2 to 4 feet is forecast and 1.5 inches of rain is expected over the next five days.

Hurricane Michael was getting better organized, according to the 7 p.m. bulletin from the National Hurricane Center. Michael was about 255 miles south of Panama City with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and was moving north at 12 mph. Michael, currently a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to strengthen through the night and be near Category 4 strength when it makes landfall in the Panhandle or Big Bend area Wednesday.

5:20 p.m.: FDC relocates inmates in path of Michael

TheFlorida Department of Corrections has relocated inmates in the path of Hurricane Michael, including some from Pensacola.

Inmates from the Pensacola Community Release Center have been relocated to larger parent facilities "in an abundance of caution," according to an FDOC advisory Tuesday afternoon.

The department relocated inmates from six facilities in the Panhandle as the hurricane draws closer, and has ensured additional food and water supplies are on site at Panhandle prisons.

If additional evacuations become necessary, FDC will advise the public of those moves upon relocation, or up to 24 hours after, per department policy.

4 p.m.: Hurricane Michael becomes Category 3 hurricane

The National Hurricane Center declared Hurricane Michael a Category 3 hurricane at its 4 p.m. update, with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour.

Some additional strengthening is expected, and Michael is forecast to be a major hurricane at landfall in Florida. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

1:40 p.m. Trump approves pre-landfall emergency declaration for 35 counties

President Donald Trump has approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration for 35 Florida counties ahead of Hurricane Michael.

The declaration will provide staff, equipment and supplies from the federal government and make funds available for emergency measures, according to a news release from Gov. Rick Scott's office.

The declaration request covers 35 counties, including Escambia and Santa Rosa.

Scott declared a state of emergency Sunday in 26 Florida counties and expanded it to 35 counties on Monday.

Latest:Hurricane Michael: What to expect and when in Escambia, Santa Rosa on Tuesday

Hurricane Michael photos:Pensacola is in prep mode

Watch:Pensacola residents prepare for Michael

Noon update: NAS, Corry, others close in advance of Hurricane Michael

Naval Air Station Pensacola, Corry Station Navy Base, Saufley Field Navy Base and The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field announced closures in advance of Hurricane Michael.

The Navy said Naval Air Station Pensacola , Corry Station and Saufley Field would curtail normal operations and close the installations to visitors and non-critical personnel at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The Navy said all facilities onboard the base will remain closed through Wednesday.

The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field announced Tuesday it would close starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday until further notice due to Hurricane Michael.

Eglin Air Force Base has limited non-essential operations in advance of Hurricane Michael. The base said Tuesday that it anticipates sustained winds of 40 miles per hour or higher around 8 p.m. When sustained winds reach 68 miles per hour or higher, the base will close its gates and cease all outside operations, the base said.

The base said it will make further decisions about the status of base closures on Wednesday.

The Air Force said the base’s civilian and military employees not in mission-essential positions would be excused from duty until further notices.

“Hurlburt weather professionals and base leadership have been extensively analyzing the storm forecast and will continue to provide updates as Hurricane Michael progresses,” the base said in a prepared statement.

The base said its airman were prepared to assist state and local authority with rescue and recovery efforts if necessary.

11:50 a.m.: Fast-developing storm catches boat owners off guard

Despite the approaching threat from Hurricane Michael, many boat owners opted to leave their vessels in the waters off Pensacola Beach.

“We are about half empty,” Betsy Walker, an employee of the Pensacola Beach Marina, said late Tuesday morning.

Walker said the fast-developing storm caught many people off caught guard. Walker said boat owners were watching the storm’s track to determine what to do.

“All it takes is one little jog to the west for it to be bad for us,” she said.

Walker said she noticed a steady stream of boats heading west early Tuesday through the Intercoastal Waterway from Panama City and Destin toward Alabama and Mississippi.

“It looked like a train of boats,” she said.

At the nearby Santa Rosa Yacht Club, dock worker Howard Hunt spent the morning removing boats for the water.

“We don’t feel like this storm is going to be a big deal for us. I don’t think we are going to get a lot of damage as long as it makes that turn to the east,” he said.

Hunt estimated that about one third of the boat owners who are members of the club decided to pull their boats from the water ahead of the storm.

10:35 a.m.: Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key evacuations ordered

Escambia County has ordered an evacuation of Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach starting at noon on Tuesday. While Florida does not have mandatory evacuations, first responders will likely not be able to assist residents of the two barrier islands starting at noon, said Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill.

9:50 a.m.: Pensacola Airport announces upcoming closure

Pensacola International Airport will be closed and cease all operations at midnight tonight, reaming closed Wednesday until further notice. Passengers are asked to check directly with airlines regarding flight information.

9:30 a.m. Update: Beach condominiums prepare for surge

Gulf Islands National Seashore officials have closed all areas of the national seashore in Florida in advance of Hurricane Michael. All Florida areas, including the Fort Pickens campground, remain closed to all public access and use until further notice.

Elsewhere on the beach, residents are taking precautions seriously.

At the 17-story Emerald Dolphin condominium building on Pensacola Beach, maintenance manager Jonathan Watson and his nephew Brandon Tolleson spent Tuesday morning making final preparations for Michael’s arrival. The two weren’t taking any chances on the storm giving the beach a break.

“It isn’t looking good,” said Watson, who removed sliding glass doors from the first-floor elevator lobby and swinging security gates from the parking lot.

Tolleson was headed out to fill gas containers to power the building’s generators.

“I’m going to try the beach station first, if they are out (of gas) I’ll see what I can find in town,” he said.

The two planned to make a final inspection of all building balconies later in the day to make sure all patio furniture and other items had been removed to ensure items would not be thrown around by Michael’s high winds.

7:30 a.m.: Hurricane Michael upgraded to Cat 2

Hurricane Michael strengthened gained Category 2 status early Tuesday and is expected to a Category 3 before the end of the day.

As of 7 a.m. CDT, Michael was moving north-northwest at 12 mph and positioned about 365 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. The National Hurricane Center said the storm was moving north-northwestward through the southern Gulf of Mexico, and that storm surge and hurricane warnings were in effect for the northeastern Gulf coast.

7:15 a.m. Update: Biggest current threat to area is dangerous storm surge and winds

National Weather Service Mobile meteorologist Morgan Barry said as of 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, the overnight model is currently showing more of an eastern Panhandle track, meaning it’s less likely to swing toward the Pensacola area, but residents should still expect dangerous storm surge and winds. She cautioned the track can change, and residents should continue to pay attention.

“The model track has started to come into a better consensus on where it should make landfall,” she said. “It looks like it’ll be Wednesday afternoon as a major hurricane and it should be on the Florida Panhandle further east of (Pensacola), probably between Destin and Apalachicola.”

Barry said the effects on the Pensacola area will depend on where the storm makes landfall, because if it hits to the west of the projection such as in Destin, for example, the Pensacola area will bear the brunt more than the area would if it hits in Apalachicola.

Either either way, Escambia and Santa Rosa county residents should still expect dangerous storm surge, high surf and debris, Barry said.

“We’re still looking at a potential inundation of two to four feet, and the surge will heavily depend on exactly where it goes in and where the core goes in across the Panhandle, so if it tracks any further west you could see more,” she said.

She said residents will have most of Tuesday to prepare before the winds pick up Tuesday night and into Wednesday, and at this stage residents should be tying down loose items and clearing yards of debris.

“That (wind level) could bring trees especially with the rain bands soaking the ground, so that could be an issue and there’s still the high surge across that area,” Barry said. “It looks like the coastal areas could see Tropical Storm force winds early Wednesday morning, so you still have most of the day today to prepare.”

Update: Center of Michael 480 miles from Panama City

The center of Michael is 395 miles from Panama City moving at 12 miles per hour, at reported with the 7 a.m. National Hurricane Center advisory update. On the forecast track, the center of Michael will continue to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico this morning, then move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico later today and tonight.

The center of Michael is Data from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected, and Michael is forecast to be a major hurricane at landfall in Florida. Weakening is expected after landfall as Michael moves through the southeastern United States. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for a stretch of the Panhandle that includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

Forecasters are warning residents to prepare for life-threatening, tropical storm force winds as Hurricane Michael is expected to make landfall Wednesday as a major hurricane.

Original story:

Gov. Rick Scott warned Monday that Hurricane Michael was a “monster” storm that will likely only get more dangerous as it barrels toward the Florida Panhandle.

As of Monday night, the storm was forecast to make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane sometime Wednesday morning. However, the governor said the hurricane could potentially pick up speed and make itself felt along the Gulf Coast as early as Tuesday night.

“It’s a big storm,” Scott said during a press conference at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center. “It’s a massive storm. We haven’t seen anything like this in the Panhandle in decades.”

Forecasters are urging everyone in the Florida Panhandle to pay close attention to the changing track of Hurricane Michael as the strengthening storm takes aim at Northwest Florida.

More:Hurricane Michael: What to expect and when in Escambia, Santa Rosa

More:Hurricane Michael: Santa Rosa County schools will be closed all day Tuesday

"This is a very real threat," said meteorologist Morgan Barry of the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, late Monday. "We have the potential for direct impact to the Florida Panhandle from a major hurricane."

The National Hurricane Center included Pensacola in a hurricane warning, which stretched from the Florida-Alabama border in the west to the Florida Big Bend region in the east. The center of the warning was over Panama City late Monday, but forecasters said the path would likely shift.

Scott said the Panhandle and Big Bend could see winds in excess of 110 mph, and Pensacola could see sustained hurricane force winds of 75 mph or more. The governor added that some parts of the affected area may receive four to eight inches of rainfall — though he noted it was possible some places could see as much as a foot of rainfall.

The governor stressed that storm surge was a major concern along the Gulf Coast, and that depending on where the storm landed the storm surge could reach eight to 12 feet.

More:Hurricane Michael puts wealthy Panhandle beach towns on notice

"If the storm hits near Panama City, the Tampa area will still see life-threatening storm surge," Scott said. "This is a big storm. You cannot hide from storm surge, so get prepared in case an evacuation is ordered."

The Pensacola area should expect to see tropical storm-force winds of 39 miles per hour or higher by Tuesday evening, Barry said.

“You can expect conditions to go downhill after that point and we'll need to have made any preparations by then,” she said.

Pensacola residents lined up at gas stations and stocked up on water in advance of the approaching storm as local emergency officials urged residents to take precautions.

"We figured everyone would be attacking the water and sure enough they were, the shelves were pretty clear in there," said John Caro, who visited a Walmart on north Navy Boulevard and left with 12 gallons of water.

Fellow shopper Linda Hodgson said she wasn't surprised Michael strengthened so rapidly over the open Gulf.

"We knew it would probably happen because the water's so hot," said Hodgson, who filled five-gallon water jugs.

The University of West Florida, Pensacola State College and Escambia County School District announced early closures Tuesday and full closures Wednesday. Santa Rosa School District announced all of its schools would be closed both Tuesday and Wednesday.

The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field evacuated its aircraft to Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas because of high winds expected from Hurricane Michael.

Joy Tsubooka, spokeswoman for Escambia County, also urged area residents to pay close attention to weather forecasts.

“It’s too early to know for sure exactly where this storm is going to go,” she said. “It is not time for our residents to put their guard down.”

Early Monday, Scott requested that President Donald Trump declare a pre-landfall emergency for 35 counties in preparation for Hurricane Michael, including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Scott declared a state of emergency Monday for those same counties.

The governor said there were about 1,250 National Guard personnel ready to provide storm response, and noted that Florida Highway patrol and Florida Department of Transportation staff were on standby to ensure both the traffic and the gasoline flowed smoothly.

Tolls were lifted for all Panhandles bridges and roads including Garcon Point Bridge and Bob Sikes Bridge.

Scott urged citizens to pay attention to their local government and media, and to be packed and prepared to evacuate if ordered.

Saying that now is the time to get ready, Scott said, "There's no excuse not to keep your family safe."