Hurricane Michael was taking direct aim on Gulf Islands National Seashore/National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Michael was barreling north across the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and was poised to make a direct hit on Gulf Islands National Seashore on the Florida-Mississippi coasts with winds above 110 mph, heavy rains, and a storm surge.

"Michael will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday and Tuesday night, is expected to move inland over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area on Wednesday, and then move northeastward across the southeastern United States Wednesday night and Thursday," the National Hurricane Center forecast. "Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Michael is forecast to become a major hurricane by Tuesday or Tuesday night."

A year ago Hurricane Nate caused road damage by storm overwash at the national seashore that limited access for about six weeks.

At Gulf Islands, spokesman Brent Everitt said Monday that campgrounds were being evacuated, islands were being closed to visitors, and everything possible was being battened down ahead of the storm's arrival. 

"Right now the track is going a little east, which is always good for us," he said Monday evening. "If this thing tracks anything to the west, that would be a major, major impact.”

Monday night's forecast called for winds of 74-110 mph in the Pensacola, Florida, area of the seashore Tuesday, he said, with a storm surge of 2-4 feet. However, Everitt fully expected to see a higher surge.

"If it moves (west), that number goes up," he said.

While the seashore was preparing for Hurricane Michael, it also was still recovering from damage inflicted by Nate a year ago. A public fishing pier and Park Service boat dock at Davis Bayou in the Mississippi half of the seashore still haven't been repaired as the park had to line up funding pay for the work.