Hurricane Irma made landfall in southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm, bringing gusts of up to 130 mph in some areas. The US death toll has risen to 10, and millions have been left without power as a result of the storm's extraordinary power.
13 September 2017
Police have begun a criminal investigation into the deaths of eight individuals at a Florida nursing home that lost power in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Police said three of the residents at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills were found dead when they arrived, while another five have reportedly died since then, according to the Associated Press.
Investigators believe the deaths were heat-related, Hollywood Police Chief Tom Sanchez said, adding that the building has been sealed off as investigators conduct a criminal investigation.
“It's a sad state of affairs,” Sanchez said, according to the Associated Press. "We all have elderly people in facilities, and we all know we depend on those people in those facilities to care for a vulnerable elderly population."
Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) has asked first responders to check in with the healthcare facilities in their area and “make sure nursing homes and assisted living facilities are able to keep their residents safe.”
“Every facility that is charged with caring for patients must take every action and precaution to keep their patients safe – especially patients that are in poor health,” Scott said in a statement.
Scott said that if investigators find the facility was not meeting the state standards of care, they will be “held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” He added that all of Florida’s 309 hospitals currently have power or are running on generator power.
12 September 2017
At least 11 people were killed following Hurricane Irma in the French territories of St. Barts and St. Martin, President Emmanuel Macron said during his visit to Guadeloupe, an insular region of France in the Caribbean.
The hurricane also left “a lot of injured” and many people are still unaccounted for, the head of state added.
Residents and business owners in Key Largo, Tavernier, and Islamorada were allowed to return as of 7am local time on Tuesday.
Either a yellow re-entry sticker or proof of residency/business ownership is required, Monroe County officials wrote in a Facebook post.
They added that people should bear in mind that services are still limited throughout the county.
"Most areas are still without power and water. Cell service is spotty. And most gas stations are still closed," officials wrote.
They added that a roadblock is being put around mile marker 74, where part of US Route 1 was swept away by Irma. A road crew is expected to begin repairs later on Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has downgraded Hurricane Irma to a tropical depression with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 35 miles per hour on Monday. In the most recent public advisory, the NHC stated that “all storm surge warnings and tropical storm warnings have been discontinued,” and no coastal watches or warnings remain in effect.
Forecasts predict Irma will denigrate as it moves through Georgia on Monday evening and dissipate as it moves into Tennessee on Tuesday.
The Department of State has announced it will send planes to evacuate US citizens from the Dutch island of St Maarten in the Caribbean on Tuesday at 7:30am local time.
The department warned passengers that flights out of the Princess Juliana International Airport will be on a first come, first serve basis. Those who wish to leave the island were advised to be at the airport no later than 2:00pm local time. Passengers should expect long wait times at the airport, which they said has no running water and very limited shelter.
Officials in Monroe County stated that residents will be allowed to return to the Florida Keys on Tuesday at 7:00am. Those who wish to return must present a yellow re-entry sticker or proof of residency or business ownership from Key Largo, Tavernier and Islamorada.
Key West City Commissioner Sam Kaufman issued a statement on Monday that said the Florida Department of Transportation has completed its inspection of bridges and US Route 1. However, two sections of the road were washed away during the storm and will not be repaired until the end of the week. All major roads in the city of Key West have been cleared of debris, Kaufman said.
The Monroe Board of County Commissioners posted a statement online that said the National Guard has entered the Keys to help recovery efforts. They added that a majority of the region is still without power, water, and cell service.
“We know this has been a difficult time for everyone and people are anxious to return to their homes,” Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi said. “We are working as quickly as we can to make our roads and bridges safe and to restore power, water and medical services.”
As Hurricane Irma moves inland, President Donald Trump has approved an emergency declaration for the state of Alabama, ordering federal assistance to supplement local response efforts.
The state of emergency authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to “identify, mobilize, and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a tropical storm warning for parts of the state that forecasts wind speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts reaching up to 55 miles per hour.
The NWS in Birmingham, Alabama, also warned drivers to be on alert for falling trees, posting a video on their Twitter page that shows a car smashing head-on into a fallen tree south of Atlanta.
Six people have died in Florida as a result of Hurricane Irma, according to the Associated Press.
The Winter Park Police Department, located just north of Orlando, posted a statement on Facebook that said officers found a deceased male on Monday morning. The police said that the man, who was later identified as 51-year-old Brian Paul Buwalda, appears to have died after being electrocuted by a downed power line. However, they added that the exact cause of his death is still being investigated by the medical examiner’s office.
Another three deaths have been reported in Georgia and one in South Carolina, bringing the total death toll in the US to 10, according to reports from local authorities.
The manager of a Pizza Hut restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, posted a notice during Hurricane Irma, warning that employees would be punished if they missed shifts due to evacuations.
“If evacuating, you will have a 24-hour period before storm ‘grace period’ to not be scheduled,” the written statement read. “You cannot evacuate Friday for a Tuesday storm event! Failure to show for these shifts, regardless of reason, will be considered a no call/no show and documentation will be issued.”
The statement also emphasized in all capital letters that if an evacuation was ordered, all employees “MUST return within 72 HOURS.”
In response, the company issued a statement that said they “do not have a policy that dictates when team members can leave or return from a disaster, and the manager who posted this letter did not follow company guidelines.”
On Monday, the city of Jacksonville reported streets were flooded with two to four feet of water after the Hurricane.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office also advised residents to stay off the roads, citing “standing water all over, downed power lines, and trees down.”
11 September 2017
Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) joined the US Coast Guard Monday for an aerial tour of the Florida Keys to survey the impact Hurricane Irma had in the area.
Scott told reporters at a news briefing after the aerial tour that Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys, experienced an estimated 10 feet of surge as the storm made landfall.
“I know for our entire state, but especially the Keys, it’s going to be a long road,” Scott said. “There’s a lot of damage.”
Officials in Monroe County announced that the Keys are still closed to residents as emergency responders work to clear the roads and restore power, water and medical services to the islands.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued an updated tropical storm warning after Hurricane Irma moved across state lines into Georgia. The NHC states that the storm has continued to “slowly weaken” as the eye was reported to be 10 miles east of Albany and 150 miles south of Atlanta with maximum wind speeds of 50 miles per hour.
Rainfall across South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama is expected to reach three to six inches, with isolated areas expecting as much as 10 inches. Parts of Mississippi, Tennessee and North
Carolina are expected to receive two to four inches.
Hurricane Irma has knocked out electricity for millions across the southeast, with the Florida state emergency management agency estimating more than 6.7 million homes and businesses, nearly two-thirds of the entire state, have lost power.
Georgia Power reported Monday that as of 5:00pm EST, more than 900,000 customers are without power.
The South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) reported more than 125,000 customers are without power in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Cedric Green, the vice president of SCANA support services, which serves Georgia and South Carolina, said that after the company has assessed the damage from the storm, they will dispatch crew resources to critical customers such as hospitals and nursing homes before conducting restoration efforts for the rest of their customers.
At a late afternoon press conference Monday, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist John Quagliariello stated that by 2:00pm EST, Irma still had wind speeds of 60 miles per hour, with tropical force storm winds extending across the state, approximately 415 miles northeast of the storm’s center.
Quagliariello explained that a storm surge inundation of about four feet in the Charleston area has caused the tide gauge in Charleston Harbor to surpass levels recorded last year during Hurricane Matthew. He added that the tide is at its third highest level on record.
“The combination of extremely high tides and heavy rain has resulted in widespread dangerous flooding throughout downtown Charleston,” Quagliariello said.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for all of southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina, with a flash flood warning in effect until Tuesday morning and a tornado watch in effect until 10:00pm Monday.
The Charleston County Government has announced that the city is at Operational Condition (OPCON) 1, the city’s highest state of emergency operations.
Charleston police have warned residents to stay sheltered in place and not to drive through flooded streets.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Miami-Dade has expanded a countywide curfew to be effective daily from 7:00pm to 7:00am.
The City of Miami has advised residents who have left not to return yet, citing “many streets still blocked by debris and some traffic lights down.”
The city expects access to Miami Beach will be granted to residents and businesses by Tuesday afternoon.
Miami International Airport announced Monday that all passenger and cargo flights have been canceled. The airport stated they will assess the damage to determine if flights can be resumed on Tuesday.
It will "take a while" for residents to return to the Florida Keys, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert told reporters.
"I would expect that the Keys are not fit for re-entry for regular citizenry for weeks," Bossert said.
Residents waiting to return to their homes were stuck at the checkpoint in Florida City, a suburb of Miami. Reuters reported some of them shouted at police and swore at media on Monday.
"If you have a property down in the Keys, you'll have to wait," Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Joe Sanchez said, explaining that the authorities need to inspect the bridges to make sure they are safe. Trees, seaweed and boats were blocking the roads, he added.
The US Navy is sending the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to Key West, to provide emergency services. Three other ships are on the way as well, the Navy said.
Florida transportation officials have cleared six of the 42 bridges needed to travel to the Florida Keys, but the roads are still closed because of debris. Water, power and cell phone service are still out.
Hurricane Irma has cut power to over 7 million homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, the authorities said. There are several counties where up to 90 percent of customers are without power.
Three quarters of residents in Miami-Dade county (830,000 out of 1.1 million) were without power as of Monday morning, NPR reported.
Over 570,000 locations in Georgia were without electricity, as well as 80,000 in South Carolina, according to AP.
Florida Power & Light has almost 20,000 workers conducting repairs around the state, but its CEO warned residents to “be prepared for some prolonged and extended outages."
As tropical storm Irma moves north along the Gulf Coast of Florida, residents of Miami are emerging from shelters to survey the damage.
As Irma, now downgraded to a tropical storm, moves along the Gulf coast, Floridians are coping with power outages, flooded streets and wind damage.
The Cuban government has confirmed Irma, which struck the islands as a Category 5 hurricane, killed at least 10 people there.
The National Hurricane Center has officially downgraded Irma to a tropical storm, having earlier indicated it would soon do so.
The Miami-based center warns that the storm is still capable of life-threatening storm surges.
Irma’s sustained wind speeds are now just over 112 kilometers per hour, down from a high of nearly 300 kmph.
British billionaire Richard Branson has revealed the damage Irma inflicted on his private island, Necker.
Branson, who was on Necker when the storm hit, said all of his team are okay and called for donations to help with the British Virgin Islands recovery.
Videos from people on the ground in Jacksonville show the extent of flooding as the city experiences historically high water levels.
The National Weather Service declared a "Flash flood emergency" for the downtown area and described the situation as "particularly dangerous".
Florida’s emergency response team says the number of homes without power has shot up to 5.78 million, representing nearly 60 percent of the state.
The city of Jacksonville, on Florida's north-east coast, has recorded an unprecedented level of flooding.
Floodwaters from the St Johns River reached 4.5ft (1.4 meters) at Main Street Bridge, beating a previous record set during Hurricane Dora in 1964.
Around 3.5 million Florida residents have been left without power, according to data from the Florida Power & Light Company.
The counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach have been hit the hardest.
The monster storm weakened early Monday, with meteorologists downgrading it to category 1, the National Hurricane Center reported. The center reported maximum sustained winds at 85mph (135kph).
The storm is now located about 30km from Lakeland, Florida, the NHC said, adding that storm surge, hurricane, and tropical storm warnings remain in the state.
Hurricane Irma is approaching Lakeland, east of Tampa, with winds of up to 100 mph (161 kph).
Meanwhile, tornado warnings have been issued for parts of central and eastern Florida as well as southern Georgia.
A construction crane was toppled by hurricane winds in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, AP reports citing officials. There's been no reports of casualties or damage to property.
This is the third crane that has collapsed in Florida, according to AP.
Good samaritans rescued two manatees stranded in a bay near Whitfield in Manatee County, Florida. It is reported the animals found themselves stranded due to the same effect Hurricane Irma had on a bay in Bahamas, when water pushed away from the shore.
In a viral Facebook post, Marcelo Clavijo described the improvised rescue operation that took place after the two manatees were discovered in knee-deep mud in the dried up bay. Several people came to aid and the animals which were carried on a tarp some 200 yards (182 meters) to water, where they recovered and swam away. The post was shared more than 50,000 times at the time of writing.
American Airlines Group Inc said late on Sunday it will resume limited operations at its Miami International Airport hub on Monday evening, but it will take days before the airline returns to normal operations.
The Fort Worth, Texas, airline canceled all flights at the airport starting on Friday evening in anticipation of Hurricane Irma, along with flights at three other south Florida airports. All American flights remain canceled through Monday at 12 other Florida airports, as well as Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia.
(Reuters)
The first images and reports are emerging from Florida Keys, which had been under a blanket evacuation order and was directly in the eye of Irma's fury Sunday.
Juston Drake of Storm Riders posted photos of a road with asphalt peeled off, a destroyed car and fallen trees, saying that the “most extreme damage was from Sugarloaf Key to Marathon.”
“We had to dig and crawl our way out. Had to use the axe and pick up large pieces of debris to clear a path over multiple stretches of Hwy 1,” he tweeted.
With communications disrupted or non-existent, AP managed to get an SMS update on the situation from a Key Largo resident John Huston who decided to ride out the storm in his house.
“100 mph gusts. Small boats floating down the street next to furniture and refrigerators. Very noisy. I got 4 cars all underwater n still 1.5 hrs till hi tide,” Huston texted.
10 September 2017
Hurricane Irma knocked out power to more than 3 million homes and businesses in Florida on Sunday and threatened millions more as it moved up the state's west coast, local electric utilities said.
Full restoration of service could take weeks, they added.
(Reuters)
Hurricane Irma’s eyewall, the location of the most extreme winds, is now passing above the city of Fort Myers. The hurricane continues to progress north up the Florida peninsula.
Rainfall is pounding the west coast of Florida. Tide measurements near the city of Naples have shown a 7 foot increase in 90 minutes, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
“A NOAA tide gauge in Naples just measured a water level of 2.2 above mean higher high water, which is a 7 foot increase over the past hour and a half,” the NHC revealed in a statement at 6pm Florida time.
Florida’s Monroe County is off limits, according to the state highway patrol, at least until risk assessments on roads and bridges are carried out.
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, US President Donald Trump has approved a disaster declaration for Florida. The move will allow the Sunshine State to claim financial assistance from the federal government.
“For a period of 30 days from the start of the incident period, assistance for emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, is authorized at 100 percent of the total eligible costs,” a White House statement read.
The Federal Aviation Authority has listed equipment failures and shutdowns at Irma hit airports and US landing strips.
Meanwhile, flight tracker reveals empty air space around Florida.
Hurricane Irma has now weakened to a category 2 storm. The US National Hurricane Center is warning that “dangerous storm surges” are expected as the eye passes over the west coast of Florida.
Ferociously high winds and heavy rain are features of footage coming from Downtown Miami this afternoon.
Here, palm trees can be seen being buffeted in the wind as water spouts threaten to form on the streets of the city’s financial district.
More than 2.5 million homes and business are now without power as Hurricane Irma continues to wreak havoc on the Florida peninsula, according to the state’s utilities companies.
Around 880,000 homes are without power in Miami-Dade County alone.
The US Coast Guard has published a video showing its preparations for the Hurricane Irma response operation.
The video, published to the government agency’s Twitter feed, shows Coast Guard crew readying its aircraft for the rescue mission at its Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama.
Conditions are worsening in the city of Naples where gusts from the category three Hurricane Irma have been recorded at speeds of 142mph.
A tornado warning is now in place for Brevard County, home of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island.
Chosen for its rocket launches because of its proximity to the equator, Cape Canaveral has seen the launch of NASA’s most historic missions, including the Project Mercury and Gemini space flights as well as the Apollo moon missions.
Hurricane Irma has now landed inland at the southern Florida city of Naples. Sustained winds of 71mph and gusts of 97mph have been reported at a weather station there.
Meanwhile, the Marco Island Police Department has published images from inside the eye of Hurricane Irma to its Twitter feed. The pictures show an eery calm in an area devastated by flooding and high winds.
Dramatic footage captured by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-16 satellite, the most advanced weather satellite the agency has ever developed, shows the eye of Hurricane Irma as it makes landfall over Marco Island.
Hurricane Irma has made its second landfall in Marco Island on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula.
The hurricane, which has weakened to a category three storm, has recorded winds of up to 130mph.
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has declared an indefinite curfew across the entire west Florida coastal city, beginning at 6pm local time.
Tampa joins other areas such as Manatee County, Miami-Dade and St Petersburg that have declared curfews.
Meanwhile, Tampa Electric, the local utilities company, estimates that as much as 60 percent of the city could be without power after Hurricane Irma reaches the city overnight.
US President Donald Trump feels “great concern” about the damage currently being wrought on Florida by Hurricane Irma, according to Vice President Mike Pence.
"Clearly the briefing that we received at Camp David this morning caused the president to have great concern for the impact of this storm moving up the west coast and the potential through heavy winds and storm surge to compromise cities and compromise lives," Pence told reporters.
Pence also told CBS affiliate WKMG-TV that Trump will visit affected areas “as soon as possible.”
More than 2 million households are now without power in Florida as Hurricane Irma continues to ravage the peninsula.
Florida Power & Light, the utilities company servicing much of south Florida, says more than 845,000 of those customers are in Miami-Dade County.
The US National Weather Service has issued a flash flood emergency for Naples and the surrounding area. In a tweet, NWS Miami said a “catastrophic surge is imminent.”
Police in Palm Beach County have arrested 43 people for curfew violations, a department spokesperson said.
Manatee County, St Petersburg, Tampa, Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami have all instituted a curfew.
Again, pictures of Naples shows the water level sinking to a fraction of its normal depth as powerful winds from Hurricane Irma sucks much of the seawater towards its eye.
The same scene has occured in both Tampa Bay and the Bahamas as a “reverse storm surge”, caused by a combination of low tide, low pressure and strong winds, pushes the water away from the bay.
Florida Governor Rick Scott offered his own warning to residents thinking of taking a closer look at the shallow water.
Instagram user Matthew Spuler has been posting videos of the storm from a highrise overlooking Biscayne Bay in Miami.
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the island of Saint-Martin Tuesday as his government continues to deny accusations that it has mismanaged the crisis in the storm-ravaged French territory.
Hurricane Irma left nine dead and left many more homeless after it swept through the island Friday. Looting of properties was said to have broken out in the aftermath of the storm.
Macron held an emergency meeting Sunday night. Afterwards, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb announced that Macron would be visiting Saint-Martin and will bring aid on his plane.
In a tweet sent Saturday, the French president pledged to double the amount of security forces already on the island, including 240 gendarmes.
The center of Hurricane Irma is nearing Naples on Florida’s southwest coast. The National Weather Service in Key West is forecasting winds of up to 80mph with potential for a 10ft surge of water through the afternoon.
Florida Governor Rick Scott is requesting a Major Disaster Declaration from US President Donald Trump.
In a statement, the governor said he was committed to providing extra resources to residents in afflicted cities and will spare no expense to “save lives and help Floridians.”
A Major Disaster Declaration allows states to share the cost of the clean up with the Federal government. Under the provision, the Federal government can pay between 90-100 percent of a state’s costs.
NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik has been monitoring the effect of Hurricane Irma from aboard the International Space Station.
Here, he posted to Twitter a pair of images showing the Caribbean Turks and Caicos islands before and after the storm.
Bresnik also published an image of the eye of Hurricane Jose, the category four storm currently following a similar path to the hugely destructive Irma.
Weather Channel field reporter Mike Seidel has published footage online of the Bricknell area of Downtown Miami.
The video shows the water undulating through the streets as the storm surge continues to affect the second-most populous city in the southeastern US.
Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa has begun evacuating its animals ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
Video tweeted to Busch Garden's Twitter timeline shows a park employee leading a flock of flamingos to shelter.
"To ensure the safety of the 12,000 animals that call Busch Gardens home, a comprehensive weather preparedness plan has been enacted which includes moving animals to secure locations and a zoological team on site for the duration of the storm to monitor the animals around the clock," the park said in a statement.
At least three people, including two law enforcement officials have been killed in car crashes.
A Hardee County Sheriff’s Office deputy identified as Julie Bridges and Sergeant Joseph Ossman of the Hardee County Correctional Institute were killed when their vehicles crashed head on.
Meanwhile, a man in the Florida Keys became the first weather related fatality from Hurricane Irma after he lost control of his truck during strong winds.
The Mayor of Tampa has said he and his fellow city residents “are about to get our own version of what hell looks like.”
Mayor Bob Buckhorn gave his dire prediction in an interview with CNN ahead of the expected passing of Hurricane Irma overnight.
Irma is expected to weaken to a category three hurricane as it moves northwards, making tonight the first time in decades that Tampa will have been struck by such a forceful storm.
Governor Nathan Deal has expanded the state of emergency to take in the entire state of Georgia.
“Acting on a recommendation from the state's Emergency Operations Command and ahead of heavy rains, strong wind and potential flooding from Hurricane Irma, Gov. Nathan Deal today expanded the emergency declaration to include an additional 65 counties,” a statement read.
“The state of emergency now includes all 159 counties in Georgia. State government will be closed Monday and Tuesday for all employees except essential personnel.”
RT reporter Marina Portnaya has posted pictures to her Twitter feed showing the extent of the flooding in Miami’s financial district.
The images show white caps on waves as they roll along the floodwater, heading further into Downtown Miami.
Footage of a bare seabed at Tampa Bay has been shared online after powerful winds from Hurricane Irma sucked much of the bay’s seawater towards its eye.
Similar video from the Bahamas was published yesterday.
The “reverse storm surge” phenomenon is caused by a combination of low tide, low pressure and strong winds which pushes the water away from the bay.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has said that the state will need extra volunteers to help residents recover from the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
“We’re going to need more volunteers,” said Scott during a news conference. “I know there are a lot of people going to come in and help us and I appreciate everyone of them.”
He also warned people to continue to watch the storm and listen to local officials as the hurricane can still change direction.
"We can't send out first responders," he said. "Everyone needs to be cautious."
Florida National Guard Adjutant General Michael Calhoun sought to reassure those affected by the storm, saying "help is coming by air, land and sea."
Scott added that he has spoken to US President Donald Trump “every day” since the beginning of the crisis.
Coastal areas of Havana were pummelled by 10 meter (36ft) waves as Hurricane Irma passed the Cuban capital early Sunday morning, sparking evacuations of flooded neighborhoods and tourist hotels.
Thousands of tourists were also evacuated from Varadero, the country’s most visited tourist resort 72 miles (116km) east of Havana.
As it passed over Cuba, Irma had weakened to a category three cyclone but strengthened again as it moved towards Florida.
Nearly 2 million people have been “impacted” by Hurricane Irma, according to Florida Power & Light.
The utilities company said that it had managed to restore power to 300,000 customers across the state, but that parts of the grid will need to be completely rebuilt following the storm.
The restoration process will be measured in weeks rather than days, the company said.
Senator Marco Rubio has chosen not to follow the advice of emergency service agencies to evacuate south Florida and instead plans to ride out the storm at his Miami home.
Speaking to CNN, the lawmaker said that is “deeply concerned” by the path that Hurricane Irma is taking up Florida’s west coast, but when asked why he had not gotten out of the way of the storm, he told host Jake Tapper: “I’m not on the coast. My home was built in 2005, so my roof can withstand a category three storm.”
Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said that the death toll on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint-Martin has risen to four.
The island, which is split between the French-governed north and the self-governing Dutch south, was hit hard by Hurricane Irma. Dutch troops were deployed across parts of Saint-Martin on Friday in an bid to stop looting in the area.
The revised death toll brings the total number of dead from Hurricane Irma to 27.
The US Coast Guard has ordered the shutdown of all ports, terminals and other maritime facilities in South Carolina.
The ports of Savannah and Brunswick have been set to port condition ‘Zulu’, meaning no vessels will be allowed enter or transit within them without permission from the Coast Guard.
Winds are expected to reach as much as 54mph within the next 12 hours, according to a statement from the USCG.
Florida officials say that around 127,000 people have taken refuge in more than 500 shelters across the state as Hurricane Irma continues northwards along the gulf coast.
The US National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the center of Irma is about 25 miles (40km) northeast of Key West.
High winds have taken down a crane over a construction site in Downtown Miami.
The site is said to be next to a federal prison in the city.
Hurricane Irma has now moved away from the Keys and is headed for the Florida peninsula, according to the latest infrared satellite imagery.
The city of Atlanta has issued its first-ever tropical storm warning.
Heavy rain and high winds of up to 40mph are expected in northern and central areas of the Georgia state capital.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has said that a powerful sea surge accompanying Hurricane Irma could decimate coastal areas.
“I am very concerned about the west coast,” Scott said in an interview on Fox News Sunday.
Florida’s gulf coast is in line with the path of the hurricane and is expected to be hardest hit by strong winds and flooding.
In a later interview with NBC, Scott asked people to keep Florida residents in their thoughts.
“The most important thing is to pray for us,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Emergency Aid Agency (FEMA), Brock Long, echoed the governor’s comments, saying that the hurricane’s path was “a worst case scenario” for coastal areas.
"This is a worst case scenario for Monroe County, the Florida Keys and the west coast of Florida," he told Fox News Sunday.
"Any time you're in that northeast quadrant as the storm is moving forward, that's where the maximum radius winds are that define the intensity of the storm.
"That's where the storm surge is most prevalent and the inland winds are going to be tough."
More than one million Florida residents are now said to be without power due to Hurricane Irma, according to reports.
About 574,000 of those outages were in Miami-Dade County. There were another 360,000 in Broward and nearly 136,000 in Palm Beach County.
Hurricane Irma has made landfall on Cudjoe Key in the lower Florida Keys with sustained winds measuring up to 130mph.
Along with Hurricane Harvey, this marks the first time in US history that two category four hurricanes have made landfall in a single year.
High winds and waves from Hurricane Irma are showing up on earthquake-measuring equipment nearly 1,000 miles away in Alabama.
Houston resident Brad Whitworth had only just gotten over Hurricane Harvey when he figured his friends in southern Florida would be facing similar difficulties in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
Whitworth has posted footage of flooding from his second home in Key Largo.
"Just went through Harvey and then flew down here to help my friends," he told CNN.
Florida's Lower Keys are now in the eye of Hurricane Irma, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Franklin County in northwest Florida has issued a mandatory evacuation order to all residents.
Posting on Facebook, the county’s emergency management coordinator wrote that the evacuation would start at 10am local time. Emergency services will also stop responding to calls after wind speeds reach 45mph, according to the statement.
Around 850,000 homes and businesses in south and central Florida have lost power, according to Florida Power & Light.
In an update published at 8am local time, the utilities firm said that around 460,599 homes in Miami-Dade, 229,973 in Brownard and 107,232 in Palm Beach County are currently without power.
The total figure amounts to 12 percent of the company’s 4.7 million customers.
The latest infrared satellite imagery shows Hurricane Irma about to make landfall over Key West.
Footage from storm chaser Mike Theiss shows the extent of the flooding and high winds in Key West as the eyewall comes over the area.
Russia is ready to provide support to Cuba, which has been significantly affected by Hurricane Irma, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
“Yes, we are ready. The head of Russian Emergencies Ministry has already offered help,” Putin said on Sunday, replying to a question by a Cuban journalist.
Earlier, Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov sent letters to the Cuban and French governments, offering assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
The eye of Hurricane Irma is now just 20 miles east-southeast of Key West. It is expected to make landfall over the lower Florida Keys shortly.
Intrepid, and alarmingly cavalier, storm chaser Juston Drake storm chaser Juston Drake stepped out of his car to sample the force of Hurricane Irma in Key West.
The former Director of the National Hurricane Center, Bill Read, has said that he expects areas from Florida Keys and north to Tampa to experience the “worst storm surge in generations.”
National Geographic photographer and storm chaser Mike Theiss has captured dramatic footage of the storm surge in Key West.
Emergency services in Collier County and Miami in southern Florida have said that they will struggle to respond to calls until the hurricane-force winds subside.
Weather Channel meteorologist Stu Ostro has tweeted a gif showing the path of Hurricane Irma as it runs parallel to the coast of Cuba before taking a sharp turn north towards the Florida Keys.
The northern eyewall of Hurricane Irma has reached the Florida Keys off the southern tip of Florida, the National Hurricane Center reports. The eye of the hurricane is 15 miles (24km) southeast of Key West.
Florida Power & Light Company has released a map of power outages by county. According to the data, Miami-Dade County has over 250,000 customers left without power. At least 130,000 have been left without power in Broward County, and 41,000 in Palm Beach County.
The National Weather Service in Miami has issued a tornado warning for northeastern Palm Beach County in southeastern Florida.
“TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris,” the statement said.
The National Weather Service has extended a tornado warning for several counties, including Micco and Grant-Valkaria.
Hurricane Irma is now 40 miles (65km) from Key West, Florida, the National Hurricane Center said in a statement, adding that its maximum sustained winds have reached 130mph (215kph).
Hurricane Irma is “capable of causing loss of life and major damage,” Ed Rappaport, the acting director of the hurricane center, said, as cited by the Miami Herald.
The eye of Hurricane Irma is approaching lower Florida, Florida Governor Rick Scott tweeted. He added that the hurricane is “expected to make landfall in the next few hours.”
He called upon Florida residents to stay indoors and pay attention to tornado alerts in the area.
Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World remain closed on Sunday, statements from the tourist attractions say.
At least 7,000 members of the Florida National Guard and 30,000 US guardsmen are in Florida for possible rescue operations, the governor’s office reports, as cited by AP.
The National Hurricane Center says that Hurricane Irma is about 70 miles (115km) from Florida with maximum sustained winds of up to 130mph (210kph).
“Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph (210 km/h) with higher gusts,” the statement said.
Winds near the Pulaski Shoals Lighthouse, east of the Dry Tortugas, have reached 62mph, the Miami Herald reports, citing NHC.
The storm was located 65 miles (104km) southeast of Key West with 130mph wind, the paper added.
National Hurricane Center upgrades Hurricane Irma to category 4
“Irma is now a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Irma is forecast to restrengthen a little more while it moves through the Straits of Florida and remain a powerful hurricane as it approaches the Florida Keys and the west coast of Florida,” the agency said in a statement.
Hurricane Irma “could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago,” Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, told AP.
Orlando Sanford International Airport has been closed due to the storm, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The last flights were recorded shortly after 5pm on Saturday.
More than 200,000 customers of Florida utility companies were left without power, ABC reported.
ABC news released a list of counties that have issued curfews, including Broward, Orange, and Palm Beach. The cities of Miami, Miami Beach, Homestead, and Key Biscayne, among others, also issued curfews.
Wind gusts near hurricane force were occurring in the Florida Keys, the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday in an update on Hurricane Irma.
The storm was about 105 miles (170 km) southeast of Key West with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour (205 kilometers per hour), the center said.
Irma was moving west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).
The center said a weather station in Vaca Key reported sustained winds of 48 mph (77 kph) with a gust to 66 mph (106 kph). Marathon, Florida, in the Keys reported sustained winds of 51 mph (81 kph) with a gust to 71 mph (115 kph).
(Reuters)
Hurricane Irma has hit Miami, with the worst part of the storm expected over the next 24 hours, RT’s Nicholas Sanchez O’Donovan reported in a livestream from the city.
The footage showed torrential rain and heavy gusts of wind sweeping Miami’s deserted streets.
There were reports of torn-off branches and fallen trees, and numerous construction cranes spinning in close proximity to high-rise buildings remain a major concern for the locals.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has offered its assistance to France and Cuba in dealing with the consequences of Hurricane Irma, after the storm swept through the French overseas territories of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy as well as northern Cuba on Saturday.
"I would like to reaffirm that Russia's Emergencies Ministry is ready to offer any necessary assistance and support if there is a relevant request to the Russian government," the ministry wrote in a telegram sent to both countries' governments.
RT’s correspondent Nicholas Sanchez O’Donovan reports live from Miami.
Several counties in Florida have received tornado warnings, including the Miami metropolitan area.
In Broward County several tornadoes were spotted, one of them being filmed in Fort Lauderdale.
In Aventura City people reported having received warnings on their phones.
At least 76,000 people have already been left without power by Hurricane Irma with an increasing number of outages expected, Florida Governor Rick Scott said at a press conference.
Scott appealed to people in evacuated areas for patience, saying that those still remaining in the path of the Hurricane have their “last chance” to flee, and those who have already left should wait for recovery efforts in the aftermath of the storm, with the state’s power grid and other infrastructure expected to take a heavy blow.
The storm surge is a particular life-threatening concern at the moment, with the governor warning that people may not realize how rapidly the water is coming towards the land.
09 September 2017
Rapidly deteriorating weather is being experienced in south Florida, with US weather experts warning that Hurricane Irma is moving away from Cuba and is hours away from striking the Sunshine State.
According to the National Hurricane Center the storm is expected over Florida Keys in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The warning notes that there is danger of “life-threatening” storm surges along the south of the Florida peninsula.
As well as the southern coast of Florida, Hurricane Irma is also battering the north coast of Cuba, where the town of Caibarien has experienced severe flooding.
Walt Disney World Florida has been forced to close due to the extreme weather conditions. The Magical Kingdom had shut its gates only four times in its history: in 1999 for Hurricane Floyd; in 2004 for Hurricane Frances and again for Hurricane Jeanne; in 2016 for Hurricane Matthew. The parks are due to close at 9 pm on Saturday, but will most likely re-open on Tuesday, Disney Officials told USA Today. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando are planning to follow suit.
Thousands of people are without electricity as the hurricane sweeps across the southern coast of Florida, and Florida Power & Light, the states’ primary power provider, struggles to keep its power grids online. According to TC Palm’s Nicole Rodriguez, 6,790 people are enduring a power outage in Broward County alone.
Over 50,000 people across the state of Florida are now seeking shelter in schools, community centers and churches as the storm draws ever nearer.
The state of Connecticut has dispatched a C-130H cargo plane and eight members of the 103rd Airlift Wing of the National Guard to help with emergency response efforts in Puerto Rico, where over a million people have been left without power.
Hurricane Irma is projected to head north reaching the Florida Keys by Sunday afternoon, with predicted winds of over 110 miles per hour. The storm is expected to strengthen back to a Category 4 storm as the day goes on, and meteorologists from ABC News have predicted storm surges of up to 10 feet in Tampa, and from 10 to 15 feet from Fort Myers to Naples.
In Key West, the city has designated Key West High School gym as a last-resort shelter. People are being allowed to bring their pets.
Experts have warned Floridians not to take shelter in their trailers if they’re in the danger zone.
“Get out of your mobile home if told by local officials. Mobile home during a hurricane will take on a new definition you won’t like,” tweeted Dr. Rick Knabb, a hurricane expert at the Weather Channel.
After devastating several Caribbean islands, Hurricane Irma has now moved onto the Florida coast. The outer reaches of the storm have already started battering Miami with heavy rain, with the Florida Keys, a chain of small islands south of the mainland, also having been affected.
Around 6.3 million people (over 25 percent of the state’s population) were ordered to evacuate, but Governor Rick Scott says it is now too late to leave the danger zone.
"The storm is here," CNN quoted Scott as saying. "This is a deadly storm, and our state has never seen anything like it."
With many shelters across the state running out of space, additional emergency shelters have started to accept evacuees. Earlier, governor Rick Scott gave assurances that some 70 more are set to open throughout the day.
Local governments across South Florida have been issuing mandatory curfews starting Saturday evening.
Hurricane Irma has left the island of Saint Martin in a “grim” situation, with 70 percent of the houses having been badly damaged or destroyed, AP reports, citing Dutch government estimates. Most of the island’s population of 40,000 is reliant on public shelters.
Watch RT’s Marina Portnaya report from Miami as Irma moves closer.
The NWS has issued tornado warnings in various areas of southern Florida.
Governor Rick Scott has again urged Floridians to evacuate, as he delivered another update at a press briefing in Orange County. “The storm is here. Hurricane Irma is now impacting our state. South Florida is already experiencing tropical storm force winds and nearly 25,000 people have already lost power,” he said. “There’s a serious threat of significant storm surge flooding along the entire west coast of Florida,” noting that in some places the storm surge can reach 15 feet above ground level. “Fifteen feet is devastating and will cover your house,” he said. “This is the most catastrophic storm the state has ever seen,” Scott added.
Another 700,000 Floridians have been asked to move as Irma makes it way towards the state, bringing the total number of evacuated to 7 million, AP reports.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said Environmental Protection Agency officials have been assessing toxic waste sites on the east and west coasts of the state for 72 hours ahead of Irma’s arrival, according to AP. Rubio said the officials he had spoken to are “generally positive” about their safety, however, they “can’t guarantee it 100 percent.”
At least 51,000 people are staying in shelters, most of which are located in southeastern Florida. More than 15,000 are in shelters in Palm Beach County and almost 13,000 in Broward County, AP reports, citing Florida emergency management officials.
More than 30,000 customers of Florida Power & Light company are experiencing power outages in Miami-Dade County. Gusty showers at 45-55mph (72-88kph) have already arrived in the area.
As Irma continues to lash northern Cuba, it has been downgraded to a category 3 hurricane with winds at 125mph (201kph). The National Hurricane Center says Irma is expected to gain strength as “an extremely dangerous major hurricane” when it makes landfall in Florida.
The Miami metropolitan area, with a population of six million people, is expected to avoid the storm center, though it will still be battered by hurricane winds, the Miami Herald reports, citing National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen. The Florida Keys are already seeing powerful winds which are knocking down trees.
The Florida governor has finished a press briefing on the state’s preparedness for Hurricane Irma at the Emergency Operation Center, again urging those who haven’t evacuated to leave now. “Not tonight, not in an hour, you need to go right now,” Rick Scott said. “Do not put your life or your family’s life at risk.” The governor emphasized that protecting citizens is the “absolute top priority” and that there will be “no resource or expense spared to protect life.” More than 260 shelters are open across Florida and at least 70 more will be opening today, he added. Scott also pleaded for 1,000 volunteer nurses to help in special need shelters. “This is a catastrophic storm, we’ve never seen this before, it’s bigger than our state,” he said, adding that Florida is “tough, resilient, and unbreakable.”
While the eye of the hurricane is predicted to reach SW Florida and Tampa some time on Sunday, the entire state will be experiencing the storm’s effects. The National Weather Service warns of storm surge along the Florida coast and devastating waves. The NWS added that there is a risk of tornadoes.
US Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters filmed circular clouds, forming the eye of Hurricane Irma.
Category 4 Hurricane Irma is 225 miles (365km) south of Miami with 130-mph (215-kph) winds. The National Hurricane Center says Irma is expected to strengthen as it moves away from Cuban land.
An estimated €1.2 billion in damage has been caused by Irma in the French territories of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, according to state reinsurer CCR. “The amount covers damages to houses, vehicles and businesses, as well as operating costs,” RFI reports. Nine people have been reported dead on the French island territories, which were battered by Irma on Wednesday.
National Weather Service Miami reports the outer bands of Irma have started to move into Miami-Dade County, with damaging winds and heavy rain expected.
While Irma is currently moving along the northern Cuban coast, the National Weather Service said the Tampa area will have scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms on Saturday ahead of the hurricane’s arrival.
The conditions which affected Irma’s formation were “absolutely ideal,” Reuters reported, citing NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory specialist Brian Kahn. “It got lucky. This storm is in the Goldilocks environment for a major hurricane. It’s bad luck for whoever is in its path, but that’s what’s going on here,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist John Knaff said.
ACN Cuban news agency reported that six dolphins were evacuated from a recreational center in Cayo Guillermo to an aquarium in the south of the island on Thursday, in a rescue effort before Irma hit the country.
READ MORE: Dolphins & tourists evacuated as Cuba braces for hurricanes Irma & Jose (PHOTOS)
Real-time flight tracker Flightradar has captured a mass departure of Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University planes from its Daytona beach campus in Florida, as people make their way inland to safety. The Auburn University Regional Airport in Alabama is expecting to host 44 aircrafts on Saturday morning, Opelika-Auburn News reported, citing the airport director.
“On the forecast track, the center of Irma will move near the north coast of Cuba today, near the Florida Keys Sunday morning, and then near the southwest coast of Florida Sunday afternoon,” an advisory of the National Hurricane Center reads. The Hurricane warning and storm surge warning have been extended northward along Florida’s west coast, officials say.
The National Hurricane Center reports the eye of Hurricane Irma continues to move over Cuba’s northern coast as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 155mph, as of 5am EST (9am GMT). Cuba-based CNN correspondent Patrick Oppmann tweeted the storm was “so devastating it broke Cuban meteorological equipment that records wind speed.” Previously, he wrote that Irma was giving Cuba “holy hell,” as the “winds do not let up.”
According to Florida Governor Rick Scott, 5.6 million Florida residents have been ordered to evacuate. “If you’ve been ordered to evacuate, leave now. Not tonight. Not in an hour. Now,” the governor urged citizens on Friday night.
In the meantime, Florida residents are bracing for the hurricane, which is predicted to move to the Florida Keys early Sunday. The National Weather Service issued a warning, saying “THIS IS AS REAL AS IT GETS,”“NOWHERE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE SAFE”
“TIME IS RUNNING OUT BUT YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO EVACUATE THIS MORNING.”
As of 2am EST (6am GMT) Saturday, Hurricane Irma was moving over the Camaguey Archipelago of Cuba as a maximum category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160mph, according to the latest updates by the National Hurricane Center.
The hurricane became the first maximum level hurricane to hit Cuba since 1924.
The National Hurricane Center has updated Hurricane Irma to a maximum level of Category 5. Meteorologists expect Irma to make landfall in the Keys between 5am and 7am ET on Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds are at 160 mph, but there will be stronger gusts of winds as well.
The storm's wind speeds will increase after Irma passes Cuba and comes forth into the extremely warm waters close to the Florida Keys, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said.
Hurricane warnings have been extended northward along the Florida Peninsula.
The Storm Surge Warning has been extended northward on the east coast of Florida to the Volusia/Brevard County line, and also on the west coast of the state to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay.
Also, the Storm Surge Watch has been extended northward on the west coast of Florida to the Suwanee River.
At 11pm ET, the center said Irma was making landfall on the Camaguey archipelago of Cuba.
Florida Governor Rick Scott said a life threatening storm surge could affect the lower half of Florida as early as Saturday morning, according to the New York Times.
Pipes, wood, and other materials have been left behind in the Brickell area of Miami.
Construction sites across Miami are being locked down by city officials in order to remove or secure building materials as Hurricane Irma heads for the sunshine state, Fox News reported.
Two dozen enormous construction cranes remain idle in Miami, and city officials are telling people who live near them to leave the area, as Irma's force could knock them down.
The cranes can't be moved or tied down, according to city officials.
After many inquiries sent to the officials about why the cranes can not be moved, they responded to the questions.
"The answer — it's a slow process that can take about TWO weeks and there is NOT enough time," they said. "Consider that the counterbalances on tower cranes weigh about 20,000 to 30,000 pounds," city officials tweeted, the Washington Post reported.
An 8pm advisory from the National Hurricane Center states that Hurricane Irma is 315 miles southeast of Miami.
Maximum sustained winds of 155 mph are being reported.
The storm is presently moving west at 12 mph.
Florida Governor Rick Scott said that the Florida Keys may feel the effects of Irma as early as Friday night, according to Fox News.
Early on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for Georgia due to the projected path of Hurricane Irma.
Forecasters believe Irma will continue on its path into metro Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hundreds of thousands of coastal evacuees fleeing Irma filed into Georgia on Friday as the storm approaches south Florida.
The number of evacuees who have been ordered to leave their homes amounted to 1.4 million people across Florida and Georgia, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
Governor Nathan Deal, along with other top emergency officials, have urged coastal residents to follow evacuations orders as Georgia prepares to be hit by the storm.
08 September 2017
Irma is currently a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph, but the National Hurricane Center says that it could regain strength and be updated to a Category 5 as it hits the Florida Keys.
Category 5 is the most powerful designation the center gives to a storm, with sustained winds of 160mph (285 km per hour).
The US has experienced only three Category 5 storms since 1851, with the last being Hurricane Andrew, which pounded the US in 1992. Irma is said to be a lot bigger than that storm, according to FEMA, Reuters reported.
The state of Florida has asked 5.6 million to evacuate as Irma heads toward them. This figure amounts to more than a quarter of the state's population, according to state emergency officials, the Associated Press reported.
On Friday, Andrew Sussman, the state's hurricane program manager, said the total amount of people asked to evacuate includes people living in the southern half of the state and those living in substandard housing in inland Florida.
Florida is the third largest state in the US with almost 21 million Floridians, according to the US Census.
Families in Boynton Beach are seeking shelter ahead of Hurricane Irma, as a state of emergency in Palm Beach County has been declared.
A curfew for Palm Beach County has also been issued and will begin on Saturday at 3pm, according to the Palm Beach Post.
The sale and distribution of alcohol, along with the sale and display of firearms, is currently prohibited in the county due to the storm, according to officials.
The Disney World theme park will close early on Saturday and will reopen on Tuesday at the earliest, according to their website.
Universal Orlando will be closing on Saturday night and also be reopening on Tuesday, according to a blog post.
Hotels will continue to stay open in the meantime.
Last year, during Hurricane Matthew, the theme park was forced to close its doors, along with Sea World, according to WJLA.
On Friday, additional inspectors were sent to the Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear plants in Florida before Irma makes landfall in the state, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Reuters reported.
Turkey Point is expected to close on Friday evening and St. Lucie will close about 12 hours later, depending on the path of the storm.
Florida Governor Rick Scott commented on the inspections.
“It is about a thirty hour process, as soon as the Category 1 winds start,” he said. “We have evacuation routes opened for people to get out and get back to them. But they will be completely shut down before the storm hits. They will not be re-open until afterwards.”
The National Weather Service has issued a warning on Twitter stating, "NOWHERE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE SAFE."
They ended the message by saying, "YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO EVACUATE."
The service also tweeted a picture highlighting the path of the storm coming up on the southern coast of Florida.
"Catastrophic and life-threatening wind and storm surge impacts expected in the Florida Keys Saturday night and Sunday," a warning read next to the image.
As Irma's effects are already being felt in Cuba, President Donald Trump's administration has issued a sanctions-related memo on Friday, extending authorities under the Trading with the Enemy Act against the island nation. The sanctions against Cuba will be continued for one year, Samuel Rubenfeld of the Wall Street Journal reported.
Eastern Cuba, including the provinces of Guantanamo Bay, and Holguin, are being pounded with heavy winds and rain. Sea penetrations are also being reported on the northeastern coastline, according to On Cuba Magazine.
On Friday, Irma had maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour and a central pressure of 927 hectopascal, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
For a century, the pilgrimage of Cuban citizens to Our Lady of Caridad del Cobre, the patroness of Cuba, has been a common tradition.
For the first time, on September 7, the pilgrimage was suspended due to the severity of Hurricane Irma.
In June, Cuba blasted Trump's decision to roll back former President Barack Obama's rapprochement policy, as Trump enlisted new restrictions on Cuba, using the pretext of human rights concerns.
As Hurricane Irma barreled towards billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson's Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands earlier this week, he decided not to evacuate. Instead, he took shelter in his concrete wine cellar.
Branson, who is the founder of Virgin Group Ltd., invited a dozen of his staff members to wait out the storm with him.
As Branson was unsure how his island would fare during a Category 5 hurricane, he made light of the fact he and his staff were locking themselves in his wine cellar in a blog post.
“Knowing our wonderful team as I do, I suspect there will be little wine left in the cellar when we all emerge,” he said.
On Thursday, he emerged on his blog, telling the world he and his staff were safe.
"All of the team situated on Necker and Moskito are safe and well. We took shelter from the strongest hurricane ever inside the concrete cellar on Necker and very, very fortunately it held firm," Branson wrote.
Branson, however, also wrote that the island and its buildings were leveled by Irma.
“Whole houses and trees have disappeared," he wrote. "I have never seen anything like this hurricane. Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated.”
"For those who are still in the path of Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Jose to come, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to put safety first and prepare as strongly as possible. Having seen first-hand the power of this storm, please ensure you stay inside, ideally in organised shelters or other solid concrete structures with water, supplies and emergency contact plans."
More than 660,000 residents of Miami-Dade County must evacuate or find hurricane-proof shelters, Mayor Carlos Gimenez told AP. The county plans to open 43 shelters with room for more than 100,000 people by Friday night.
Only 300 of the estimated 1,000 homeless people living in the streets of Miami have been evacuated, according to the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. Many are moving to shelters willingly, but the police have detained several who have refused, under the authority given to them by the Baker Act.
Anybody who stays out during this storm is “going to die,” said Ron Book from the Homeless Trust.
Residents of Orlando, Florida are preparing for the storm by stocking up on sandbags, gas and food.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Jose is moving along the same track as Irma, and has strengthened to Category 4.
Barbuda, which was devastated by Irma earlier this week, is attempting to evacuate its entire population by air and sea ahead of Jose's landfall.
President Donald Trump warned that Hurricane Irma is storm of “absolutely historic destructive potential.”
He warned everyone on the storm path to be vigilant, and heed all recommendations from government officials and law enforcement, according to the statement.
President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach has been ordered to evacuate because of Hurricane Irma, the Miami Herald reports.
Evacuation orders are also in effect for barrier islands and low-lying areas of Palm Beach County, affecting about 125,000 residents.
A long-time Miami Herald writer's instructions on surviving hurricanes are making rounds on social media, in part due to the dry humor.
The Federal Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long said on Friday the hurricane would “devastate the United States.”
Long said power would be out for days in Florida “if not longer.”
Video posted to Twitter by French radio journalist Xavier Yvon shows the sheer scale of destruction wrought on Saint Martin.
People are seen surveying the flattened wreckage of homes while other buildings, including the Mercure Hotel, are roofless. Building debris is strewn everywhere and iron fences around properties have been felled.
Nine people are confirmed dead in the French Caribbean territories following Hurricane Irma, according to the French interior ministry. The approaching Hurricane, Jose, is expected to disrupt emergency operations currently underway following Irma.
Hurricane Irma has been downgraded to a Category 4 storm, but remains an “extremely dangerous” hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center reports Irma is about 495 miles (800km) southeast of Miami, Florida.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued the first hurricane warnings for south Florida and the Florida Keys on Thursday with winds reaching a maximum of 165 miles per hour.
A hurricane warning is now in effect for Jupiter Inlet, the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay. The warning is also still in effect for parts of Haiti, the Bahamas and Cuba.
According to the NHC, a hurricane warning means that “hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area” and “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”
Palm Beach County officials have ordered mandatory evacuations for about 155,000 residents in Zone A, Zone B and the Glades by Friday at 10:00am. A voluntary evacuation has also been ordered for residents in Zone C.
The county states that Zone A, which has approximately 49,000 residents is “prone to water intrusion” and Zone B, which has approximately 74,000 residents, contains “surge-vulnerable areas.” The Glades Area evacuation zone, which has approximately 32,000 residents, includes the entire Palm Beach County area around Lake Okeechobee, not just the area known as Zone E.
Bus services are being provided to residents in the areas to shelters in other parts of the county. Pick-ups will begin at 10:00am on Friday and end at 5:00pm.
The county has provided an interactive map, where residents can enter their address to see which zone they are in.
Florida Governor Rick Scott issued an update on Hurricane Irma on Thursday after traveling the state to meet with local officials.
Scott spoke with Colonel Jason Kirk of the US Army Corps of Engineers, who warned that excessive winds could push water over the Herbert Hoover Dike, which is holding up the waters of Lake Okeechobee in southern Florida.
In response, Scott ordered voluntary evacuations in the cities surrounding the southern half of Lake Okeechobee. The seven cities affected by those orders are South Bay, Lake Harbor, Pahokee, Moore Haven, Clewiston, Belle Glade and Canal Point.
A mandatory evacuation will be ordered for these areas starting Friday morning, the update said.
The US Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has been releasing water from Lake Okeechobee and conducting routine inspections to ensure the water level does not rise too much.
A man with a gun was reportedly shot by police after a confrontation at the Miami International Airport, according to WBFS.
The incident occurred as Florida residents rushed to get out of the path of Hurricane Irma on Thursday night. The airport's Terminal J was forced to evacuate and close as a result of the shooting.
Miami-Dade police confirmed that the shooting was “a result of a security incident” at the airport. They added that there is no further threat or danger to the public at this time and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an investigation into the incident.
All five living former US presidents have joined forces to form the “One America Appeal,” a hurricane recovery effort that will raise money for victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.
Together, former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter announced the hurricane recovery effort on Thursday. The appeal was made to “encourage their fellow citizens to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.”
“People are hurting down here, but as one Texan put it, ‘we’ve got more love in Texas than water,’” former President George W. Bush said in a promotional video.
Any funds raised through the initiative will go into a special account at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, which is a tax exempt organization, in order to “ensure 100 cents out of every dollar” that is donated goes to hurricane victims. All donations will be distributed to the Houston Harvey Relief Fund and the Rebuild Texas Fund.
Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that all public K-12 schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will be closed from Friday through Monday in order to ensure officials “have every space available for sheltering and staging.”
“Our state’s public schools serve a vital role in our communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts,” Scott said.
Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys, issued a mandatory evacuation for “all visitors, tourists and non-residents.” The county urged anyone in the area to seek shelter in mainland Florida.
Monroe County administrator Roman Gastesi urged residents to leave, warning that emergency services will not be available to those who chose to stay.
“If you stay, you think you’re a tough guy, then you’re on your own,” Gastesi said, according to the Miami Herald. “Don’t expect us to come get you.”
All three hospitals in the Florida Keys will be closing by 7:00am Friday and will not reopen until the storm passes and personnel who have evacuated can return to work. Patients at the Lower Keys Medical Center were evacuated on Wednesday night.
The county also announced that the Key West International Airport will be closed until further notice, but the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport also will remain open for general aviation until conditions become unsafe to operate.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued an updated warning that states Hurricane Irma has reached the Turks and Caicos Islands with winds of 175 miles per hour.
A hurricane warning is currently in effect for parts of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Cuba. According to the NHC, a hurricane warning means that “hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area” and “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”
Residents in Florida are working on last minute preparations to protect their homes. The City of Miami told residents they still have time to cover their windows with metal shutters or plywood.
Residents who decided to leave the area said they were stuck for hours on increasingly crowded roads. One traveler told RT that a “four-hour trip turned into nine, 10-hour trip” adding that she still has another two hours of driving left.
07 September 2017
At least four people in the Virgin Islands have died as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma, Lonnie Soury, a government spokesman, told Reuters.
“We are not sanguine that there aren’t more (dead),” Soury said.
In total, at least 10 deaths have been reported so far, Reuters reported.
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Broward County is suspending all operations Friday, with the last flight out departing Thursday at 7:45pm.
Cruise lines originally scheduled to be docking Saturday are docking early at Port Miami. Some people leaving the cruise ships are locals, trying to secure their homes and belongings before Irma strikes, while others not from the area will need to make new arrangements, even as airports close.
Governor Rick Scott (R) says the state’s two nuclear power plants will be shut down before Hurricane Irma hits, but little has been said about over a dozen chemical plants around the state, many of which manufacture highly combustible fertilizer
READ MORE: Florida shutting down its 2 nuclear plants ahead of Hurricane Irma
President Donald Trump was briefed on Hurricane Irma on Thursday afternoon, according to the White House press secretary. Along with Vice President Mike Pence, senior administration officials discussed federal support for the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, and other states, as well as international partners affected by Irma. Hurricane Harvey recovery was also covered. The White House said that Trump's "number one priority is saving lives."
Federal agents will assist in search and rescue operations, mass care, power restoration, and economic recovery, according to the White House.
Mandatory evacuation orders are underway in parts of Miami, where there are also public requests being made to voluntarily ration water and fuel.
Florida's Palm Beach County is also under a hurricane watch, where some residents are putting up steel shutters to protect their homes from the wrath of Irma.