The Weather Forecast Office of Tallahassee has announced a Hurricane Watch as of Monday that affects Bainbridge.

A hurricane watch indicates hurricane- force winds that are possible somewhere within the area for the next 48 hours.

The windows for these winds are most likely between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. The peak wind forecast indicates 45-60 mph winds with gusts of up to 75 mph.

There is a potential threat to life and property for wind ranges 74 mph to 110 mph. They are asking everyone to plan for life-threatening wind equivalent to CAT 1 or 2-hurricane force due to possible forecast changes in track, size or intensity.

Efforts to protect property should be rigorously underway, if people have not started making preparations they encourage to do so immediately.

The potential impact of the storm could be extensive. The Weather Service believes there will be considerable roof damage to sturdy buildings, with some having window, door and garage door failures that will lead to structural damage.

Mobile homes may become severely damaged, with some destroyed, and the damage could become accentuated by airborne projectiles.

They are preparing for large trees to be snapped or uprooted with fences and roadway signs blown over. They want residents to know some roads may become impassable due to large debris, especially within urban or heavily wooded places.

There will be large areas with power and communication outages.

Flooding rain is also a possibility, with peak rainfall amounts reaching six- 10 inches. People should make emergency plans in the event of localized flooding from the heavy rain. This usually occurs in vulnerable spots where rapid ponding of water occurs at underpasses and low-lying spots and poor drainage areas.

Bainbridge is a favorable area for tornadoes. People should prepare to relocate to a safe shelter if their home is particularly vulnerable.

The entire tri- state region will see impacts from Tropical Storm Michael. The Florida Petroleum Marketers Association realizes there may be possible fuel supply issues in Bainbridge and are discussing the situation. Bainbridge schools have announced they will be closed on Wednesday.

People with concerns can contact the Weather Forecast Office at 850-942-8833 option 9 with any questions.