It seems like every storm headed towards a U.S. coastline is considered extremely deadly, but Hurricane Michael is truly one for the books.
The near Category 5 storm has already wreaked havoc in the Florida Panhandle and parts of southern Georgia, shattering every resident's hope of getting their lives back to normal in the coming weeks.
According to Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist specialized in Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecasts, Michael was ranked the third strongest hurricane in terms of landfall pressure.
That means the storm was more powerful than the deadly Hurricane Katrina that ravaged New Orleans in 2005.
Because hurricanes are measured in atmospheric pressure, not windspeed, the extent of their destructive force is determined by how much atmospheric pressure they exert (the lower the pressure, the more destruction).
As you can see in Klotzbach's tweet below, Michael has a landfall pressure of 919 mb, making it the third most powerful hurricane in continental U.S. history.
Table of 10 strongest continental US landfalling #hurricanes on record as ranked by minimum sea level pressure at landfall. #Michael ranks 3rd with a landfall pressure of 919 hPa. pic.twitter.com/JB8o1HREqO
— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) October 10, 2018
All the warnings of a life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flash flooding turned out to be true.
The extent of Hurricane Michael's damage is simply jaw-dropping. Gorgeous tourist spots on the Florida Panhandle look like ghost towns. Homes have their windows shattered and their roofs torn off.
Worst of all, as of Thursday morning, one man and child have been reported dead.
Social media users affected by Hurricane Michael were quick to upload the damaged lands they call home.
Here are a few images of as the record-breaking storm as it was happening.
Images of the aftermath of the storm are even more spine-chilling...
