Hurricane Michael is a “massive tornado” that is about to cause widespread damage in Florida and nearby states as the category four storm makes landfall, President Donald Trump warned Wednesday.

After receiving a briefing on the hurricane from Homeland Security officials, the president said Michael began “innocently” but then “grew into a monster.”

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“It’s like a big tornado, a massive tornado,” said Trump, who already has taken the step of declaring a disaster in Florida to unlock existing emergency funding.

Because “some of the areas are very poor,” in the storm’s expected path, it will be “very difficult for people without the necessary resources to leave,” the president said.