Big convective blowup recently in S Alabama...any impact on the track of the storm remains to be seen, but a slight wobble west is not out of the question. This storm looks like it is going directly up Escambia Bay, where damage is going to be catastrophic. This will take the eyewall near or over downtown Pensacola.

Areas from Panama City to Cape San Blas should see their storm surge really kicking up as the center makes landfall and winds begin to come perpedicular to shore in that area. Regions all across the SE from Mississippi to SE Georgia are seeing torrential rains -- here in Tallahassee, we are now well over 5" storm total with much more to come. The FL panhandle, except for perhaps the areas between Apalachicola and Panacea, is bearing the brunt of the heavy rainfall at this time, with S. Alabama next in line as the storm moves north.