*By Carlo Versano*
Tropical Storm Michael moved rapidly northeast over Georgia and the Carolinas on Thursday after coming ashore as an unprecedented Category 4 on the Florida Panhandle a day earlier and doing severe damage to coastal cities like Panama Beach.
But the biggest fears of potentially catastrophic storm surge did not appear to have been realized. Sarah Rosario, a reporter for the local CBS affiliate in St. Petersburg, Fla., told Cheddar from Crystal River that the waters there had receded, and "things are looking much better."
Up north on the panhandle, though, the damage was more severe. At least two people are dead and hundreds of thousands remain without power after Michael made a direct hit on the region. "This is the biggest storm that area has seen ever," Rosario noted. "It came out of nowhere."
The focus now turns to flooding in the southeast, where the ground remains saturated with rainwater from last month's Hurricane Florence. Michael is expected to quickly move north toward Virginia before exiting back into the Atlantic as a post-tropical system.
Michael is the [fourth](https://twitter.com/chrisdolcewx/status/1050348660339412992) Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. in 14 months.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/hurricane-michael-hits-florida).
"The Expend4bles" is one of many flicks that you can catch Friday.
A peek at the 'Squid Game' competition show was revealed.
A set of twins born prematurely left NICU after 138 days and were celebrated with a graduation ceremony.
With the cost of food so high, going grocery shopping can be stressful. Trae Bodge, a shopping expert with Truetrae.com, spoke with Cheddar News to provide some money-saving tips when stocking your pantry.
The cost of raising a child is now estimated at $237,000, not including college, according to a new report. Matt Schultz, chief credit analyst with LendingTree, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to budget for having a family.
A majority of people in the UK say they believe women do more household chores than men.
Getting your children doesn't mean you need to break the bank to do so. Cheddar News' Michelle Castillo attended Toy Insider's Holiday of Play event to find toys that you can get for under $20 ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
September is National Dog Service Month. Rubie Nathanson, a trainer with Dog Training Elite, joined Cheddar News to discuss the differences between a service dog and a typical pet and the importance of service dogs overall.
A study suggested that suppressing negative thoughts may improve anxiety, depression or PTSD.
A poll showed that a majority of Americans support the recent strikes involving writers, actors and auto workers.
