Hurricane Irma on track for direct hit on Miami

On Sep 9, 2017

Yemenextra

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.
02:17 GMT

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
01:44 GMT

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.
00:52 GMT

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

23:56 GMT

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.
23:34 GMT

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.
23:07 GMT

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.
22:28 GMT

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.
22:03 GMT

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.”
21:47 GMT

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.