*By Christian Smith*
While it may not be the strongest storm to hit the U.S. this year, Hurricane Michael could prove incredibly destructive to a region that isn't used to powerful hurricanes, said meteorologist and Grist staff writer Eric Holthaus.
"In this area where the storm is expected to make landfall there have only been about three hurricanes of this strength in all of history," Holthaus said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
A State of Emergency was expanded on Monday to cover 35 counties along the Florida Gulf Coast. At a press conference, Gov. Rick Scott said, "Hurricane Michael is forecast to be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades."
Hurricane Michael was upgraded to a [Category 3](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/us/hurricane-michael.html) Tuesday. It is expected to make landfall in the central part of the Florida panhandle near Panama City on Wednesday.
Evacuations have been ordered for a number of counties along the Florida Coast. Authorities warn that rescue crews will not be able to reach those who decide to remain in their homes immediately after the storm hits.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/hurricane-michael-builds-strength-as-it-closes-in-on-florida-coast).
Initially unsure of which orangutan was the father of a new baby primate, the Denver Zoo decided to have a little fun with the results and turned to the paternity announcement guru himself: former daytime talk show host Maury Povich.
The Biden administration is moving to conserve old-growth forests on national forests and limit logging as climate change amplifies the threats they face from wildfires, insects and disease.
With high healthcare costs, bills can quickly add up. In some cases, it is possible to negotiate your medical bills. Barak Richman, law professor at George Washington University, joined Cheddar News to discuss the easiest way to talk to medical debt companies about what's owed.
Millions of people have selected insurance plans for 2024 but sometimes navigating them can be tricky time consuming and expensive. Paula Pant, host of 'Afford Anything' podcast, joined Cheddar News to break down what's needed to know about their insurance plans.
