TROPICAL STORM MICHAEL: If you live in Georgia, do this now

ATLANTA — Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 4 storm on the Florida Panhandle Wednesday.

It weakened to a tropical storm overnight.

[THE LATEST: 11-year-old Georgia's first death from Michael]

The National Weather Service said to be on the lookout for heavy rainfall, damaging wind and possible isolated tornadoes Tuesday into Wednesday.

Here are some of the storm preparations you should complete as soon as possible if you live in an area where a storm like this will hit:

DURING & AFTER THE STORM

1. Listen to local officials for updates and instructions.

2. Check in with family and friends by texting or using social media.

3. Watch out for debris and downed power lines.

4. Avoid walking or driving through floodwaters. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down and 1 foot of fast-moving water can sweep your vehicle away.

5. Avoid floodwater, as it may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines and may hide dangerous debris or places where the ground is washed away.

6. Photograph the damage to your property in order to assist in filing an insurance claim.

7. Do what you can to prevent further damage to your property, (e.g., putting a tarp on a damaged roof), as insurance may not cover additional damage that occurs after the storm.

8. Never plug your generator directly into your home outlet. That's known as "back-feeding" and puts people at risk of electrocution.

Cox Media Group