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| Hurricane Irma: Florida braces for epic storm as death toll hits 23 – latest updates | Hurricane Irma: Florida braces for epic storm as death toll hits 23 – latest updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.32pm BST | |
| 20:32 | |
| Vanessa Thompson, a teacher on the British territory of Anguilla, has recorded video of the island’s only secondary school. The buildings are in partial ruins, with roofs lifted onto the streets, walls shorn from classrooms, and debris scattered everywhere. | |
| 8.26pm BST | |
| 20:26 | |
| Donald Trump’s parting remarks on hurricane Irma, which is approximately 380 miles south south-west of the US mainland. | |
| .@POTUS comments on Irma leaving the White House this afternoon --> pic.twitter.com/YPRRVNwKSx | |
| 8.10pm BST | |
| 20:10 | |
| The National Hurricane Center has updated its forecast to take into account the latest from the NWS, predicting 10-15in of rain in south-east Florida through Tuesday night. | |
| Eastern Florida and coastal Georgia should expect anywhere from eight to 16in, the agency said, with flash floods and mudslides possible. Like state authorities, the agency warned that storm surges should not be underestimated. In south-west Florida, waves could move six to 12ft above ground at high tide. | |
| Reuters meanwhile has reported updates on fatalities and injuries from the Caribbean islands that have already suffered the hurricane. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reported four deaths on the British Virgin Islands, but local authorities have not corroborated that figure. | |
| There were 21 deaths confirmed by various government officials around the region. French interior minister Gerard Collomb has said nine people were killed in St Barthelemey and French St Martin, and that seven people remain missing and 112 injured. | |
| Dutch authorities on neighboring St Maarten have reported two dead and 43 wounded. | |
| Four people were killed on the US Virgin Islands, according to a government spokesperson; three died on Puerto Rico; one person was killed on the tiny island of Barbuda; one in the British territory of Anguilla; and one person in Barbados. | |
| If you’re directed to evacuate due to #Irma and need a safe place to go, you can find a list of shelters in our app: https://t.co/WZ95DuyXbf pic.twitter.com/Br6CQhARRA | |
| 7.37pm BST | 7.37pm BST |
| 19:37 | 19:37 |
| On Barbuda, tragedy has colored the hurried, now mandatory evacuation from the tiny island, where category four hurricane Jose is approaching. The AP reports: | On Barbuda, tragedy has colored the hurried, now mandatory evacuation from the tiny island, where category four hurricane Jose is approaching. The AP reports: |
| Stevet Jeremiah lost her 2-year-old son, her house and all her belongings when Hurricane Irma slammed into the tiny island of Barbuda. Now she is leaving the island for good. | Stevet Jeremiah lost her 2-year-old son, her house and all her belongings when Hurricane Irma slammed into the tiny island of Barbuda. Now she is leaving the island for good. |
| Jeremiah said her mother and other son had been sent to Antigua and she and her husband were going to follow. She said she has “nothing, not even an ID to say my name.” | Jeremiah said her mother and other son had been sent to Antigua and she and her husband were going to follow. She said she has “nothing, not even an ID to say my name.” |
| When it was still a category five storm, the hurricane ripped the roof off her house and filled it with water. Jeremiah said there was “so much water beating past us, we had to crawl to get to safety.” Her son was swept away in floodwaters. | When it was still a category five storm, the hurricane ripped the roof off her house and filled it with water. Jeremiah said there was “so much water beating past us, we had to crawl to get to safety.” Her son was swept away in floodwaters. |
| In Antigua, she planned to look for her surviving son and her mother, and start making arrangements for the two-year-old’s funeral. | In Antigua, she planned to look for her surviving son and her mother, and start making arrangements for the two-year-old’s funeral. |
| She said she has experienced hurricanes before, but “never anything like this in my life ... and I don’t ever, ever, ever want to see something like this again.” | She said she has experienced hurricanes before, but “never anything like this in my life ... and I don’t ever, ever, ever want to see something like this again.” |
| Officials in Antigua have launched a national campaign to open their homes to hurricane victims from Barbuda. | Officials in Antigua have launched a national campaign to open their homes to hurricane victims from Barbuda. |
| 7.13pm BST | 7.13pm BST |
| 19:13 | 19:13 |
| “Gouging will not be tolerated, period,” Bossert says, again echoing Florida governor Rick Scott in response to a question about predatory business practices. | “Gouging will not be tolerated, period,” Bossert says, again echoing Florida governor Rick Scott in response to a question about predatory business practices. |
| He also says that he’s concerned about potential overflow from Lake Okeechobee, the large inland lake in south Florida. Scott said that engineers are regularly inspecting the lake’s dike and they believe that it is not at risk for breaking. | He also says that he’s concerned about potential overflow from Lake Okeechobee, the large inland lake in south Florida. Scott said that engineers are regularly inspecting the lake’s dike and they believe that it is not at risk for breaking. |
| Nevertheless, Scott has ordered mandatory evacuations for cities around the lake. | Nevertheless, Scott has ordered mandatory evacuations for cities around the lake. |
| 2pm Friday: FLASH FLOOD WATCH for areas near Lake Okeechobee. Mandatory evacuations are in effect! #FLwx pic.twitter.com/G0YsBb36nE | 2pm Friday: FLASH FLOOD WATCH for areas near Lake Okeechobee. Mandatory evacuations are in effect! #FLwx pic.twitter.com/G0YsBb36nE |
| 7.06pm BST | 7.06pm BST |
| 19:06 | 19:06 |
| Bossert says he’s worried about the financial resources for disaster relief. | Bossert says he’s worried about the financial resources for disaster relief. |
| Fema is already coping with recovery from devastating floods in Houston, after hurricane Harvey, and agencies around the country are strained, especially with western wildfires. Bossert says the president, Donald Trump, will sign approval for relief funds as soon as Congress brings such a measure to his desk. | Fema is already coping with recovery from devastating floods in Houston, after hurricane Harvey, and agencies around the country are strained, especially with western wildfires. Bossert says the president, Donald Trump, will sign approval for relief funds as soon as Congress brings such a measure to his desk. |
| 12Z GFS in good agreement with NHC forecast track of Irma. Extremely dangerous setup for the Florida Peninsula. pic.twitter.com/ikdpRVYiWt | 12Z GFS in good agreement with NHC forecast track of Irma. Extremely dangerous setup for the Florida Peninsula. pic.twitter.com/ikdpRVYiWt |
| 7.01pm BST | 7.01pm BST |
| 19:01 | 19:01 |
| White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert is speaking to reporters about the US preparation for hurricane Irma. | White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert is speaking to reporters about the US preparation for hurricane Irma. |
| Fuel is particularly important, he says, echoing Florida governor Rick Scott. Foreign ships have been allowed to bring fuel to Florida, he says, to provide residents with the fuel to evacuate before the storm, for power during and after the storm, and for vehicles during the recovery. | Fuel is particularly important, he says, echoing Florida governor Rick Scott. Foreign ships have been allowed to bring fuel to Florida, he says, to provide residents with the fuel to evacuate before the storm, for power during and after the storm, and for vehicles during the recovery. |
| “At some point people are going to be on their own, so to speak, for a period of time when the flooding, the wind and the rain bear down on them,” he says. They should have enough supplies for at least a 72 hour period. | “At some point people are going to be on their own, so to speak, for a period of time when the flooding, the wind and the rain bear down on them,” he says. They should have enough supplies for at least a 72 hour period. |
| Bossert warns against “hurricane amnesia”: forgetting how people lose power, communications, and mobility during and after a storm. | Bossert warns against “hurricane amnesia”: forgetting how people lose power, communications, and mobility during and after a storm. |
| Federal agencies are preparing for last minute variables of the storm. Bossert notes that the north-east section of the storm is the most dangerous, meaning a turn west and then north could be especially destructive to the state, with that quadrant of winds crossing across the state. On the other hand, should the eyewall cross onto land the storm will lose speed, Bossert notes. | Federal agencies are preparing for last minute variables of the storm. Bossert notes that the north-east section of the storm is the most dangerous, meaning a turn west and then north could be especially destructive to the state, with that quadrant of winds crossing across the state. On the other hand, should the eyewall cross onto land the storm will lose speed, Bossert notes. |
| The storm, he says, “has taken lives already. It’s going to take more, unfortunately, if we’re not prepared.” | The storm, he says, “has taken lives already. It’s going to take more, unfortunately, if we’re not prepared.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.01pm BST | at 7.01pm BST |
| 6.54pm BST | 6.54pm BST |
| 18:54 | 18:54 |
| Nearing the warmer waters of the Bahamas and Cuba, hurricane Irma’s winds have increased to 155mph, according to a 2pm advisory by the National Weather Service. | Nearing the warmer waters of the Bahamas and Cuba, hurricane Irma’s winds have increased to 155mph, according to a 2pm advisory by the National Weather Service. |
| On Cuba, Reuters reports that life has come to a near total stop. | On Cuba, Reuters reports that life has come to a near total stop. |
| Schools and most businesses were closed, hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated, and train, bus and domestic air services around the island were canceled. Airports were closing to international flights as conditions warranted. Tourists, and even the dolphins that entertain them, were evacuated. The storm was then predicted to veer north, sparing western Cuba and Havana. | Schools and most businesses were closed, hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated, and train, bus and domestic air services around the island were canceled. Airports were closing to international flights as conditions warranted. Tourists, and even the dolphins that entertain them, were evacuated. The storm was then predicted to veer north, sparing western Cuba and Havana. |
| In the Cuban fishing town of Caibarien, residents secured their roofs and moved belongings from low-lying coastal areas to houses higher up inland as the skies clouded over. Most said they were worried but well prepared. | In the Cuban fishing town of Caibarien, residents secured their roofs and moved belongings from low-lying coastal areas to houses higher up inland as the skies clouded over. Most said they were worried but well prepared. |
| Esteban Reyes, 65, was pushing his bicycle taxi laden with a mattress, iron and DVD player. “We are used to storms but I’m still a bit scared. But the government has taught us to be prepared and help one another,” he said. | Esteban Reyes, 65, was pushing his bicycle taxi laden with a mattress, iron and DVD player. “We are used to storms but I’m still a bit scared. But the government has taught us to be prepared and help one another,” he said. |
| In the Bahamas, the government evacuated most people from the southern islands before the storm hit, with some 1,200 people airlifted to the capital, Nassau. | In the Bahamas, the government evacuated most people from the southern islands before the storm hit, with some 1,200 people airlifted to the capital, Nassau. |
| Life-threatening wind & storm surge impacts expected in the #FLKeys, especially the Middle & Upper Keys, Sat. night & Sunday. #Irma #FLwx pic.twitter.com/ezckf9Ce86 | Life-threatening wind & storm surge impacts expected in the #FLKeys, especially the Middle & Upper Keys, Sat. night & Sunday. #Irma #FLwx pic.twitter.com/ezckf9Ce86 |
| 6.35pm BST | 6.35pm BST |
| 18:35 | 18:35 |
| The UN’s special representative for disaster risk reduction, Robert Glasser, has joined the chorus of voices linking the extraordinary frequency and force of weather events – huge hurricanes, wildfires across the American west, flooding in Nigeria and India – to the exacerbating effect of climate change. | The UN’s special representative for disaster risk reduction, Robert Glasser, has joined the chorus of voices linking the extraordinary frequency and force of weather events – huge hurricanes, wildfires across the American west, flooding in Nigeria and India – to the exacerbating effect of climate change. |
| “There can be little doubt that 2017 is turning into a year of historic significance,” Glasser said, “in the struggle against climate change and all the other risks that put human life in danger and threaten the peace and security of exposed and vulnerable communities around the world who find themselves in harm’s way from hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.” | “There can be little doubt that 2017 is turning into a year of historic significance,” Glasser said, “in the struggle against climate change and all the other risks that put human life in danger and threaten the peace and security of exposed and vulnerable communities around the world who find themselves in harm’s way from hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.” |
| We must realise that these disaster events are not natural phenomena but are a result of a built environment which is not fit for purpose and a failure to understand how we are intensifying the cocktail of disaster risk by not adequately addressing poverty, land use, building codes, environmental degradation, population growth in exposed in vulnerable settings and, most fundamentally, greenhouse gas emissions. | We must realise that these disaster events are not natural phenomena but are a result of a built environment which is not fit for purpose and a failure to understand how we are intensifying the cocktail of disaster risk by not adequately addressing poverty, land use, building codes, environmental degradation, population growth in exposed in vulnerable settings and, most fundamentally, greenhouse gas emissions. |
| The floods and monsoon rains across South Asia, deadly landslides and drought in Africa, the impact of four major Atlantic hurricanes, a major earthquake in Mexico with a tsunami threat to central America vividly demonstrate that we need to redouble our efforts to reduce the impact of such events in the future. They are a reminder to us all that the worst disasters which could happen have not happened yet. | The floods and monsoon rains across South Asia, deadly landslides and drought in Africa, the impact of four major Atlantic hurricanes, a major earthquake in Mexico with a tsunami threat to central America vividly demonstrate that we need to redouble our efforts to reduce the impact of such events in the future. They are a reminder to us all that the worst disasters which could happen have not happened yet. |
| “If we do not succeed in understanding what it takes to make our societies more resilient to disasters then we will pay an increasingly high price in terms of lost lives and livelihoods.” | “If we do not succeed in understanding what it takes to make our societies more resilient to disasters then we will pay an increasingly high price in terms of lost lives and livelihoods.” |
| 6.31pm BST | 6.31pm BST |
| 18:31 | 18:31 |
| Residents of Barbuda, where the prime minister estimated 90% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed, recall surviving hurricane Irma’s 170mph winds and huge storm surges. | Residents of Barbuda, where the prime minister estimated 90% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed, recall surviving hurricane Irma’s 170mph winds and huge storm surges. |
| 6.06pm BST | 6.06pm BST |
| 18:06 | 18:06 |
| Florida governor Rick Scott is holding another briefing for the public, exhorting people to move now if they haven’t already. | Florida governor Rick Scott is holding another briefing for the public, exhorting people to move now if they haven’t already. |
| “If you’re in an evacuation zone, leave. it’s as simple as that,” he says. He suggests people to county shelters or friends’ homes away from the coasts, rather than join the mass exodus on northbound. “Don’t wait. If you’re going to leave, leave. If you’ know what’s going to happen, do it now. The mistake is when people wait.” | “If you’re in an evacuation zone, leave. it’s as simple as that,” he says. He suggests people to county shelters or friends’ homes away from the coasts, rather than join the mass exodus on northbound. “Don’t wait. If you’re going to leave, leave. If you’ know what’s going to happen, do it now. The mistake is when people wait.” |
| Scott also condemns price gouging by airliners and other services, saying that the practice will not be forgotten in the aftermath of the storm. | Scott also condemns price gouging by airliners and other services, saying that the practice will not be forgotten in the aftermath of the storm. |
| “It’s disgusting if anybody price gouges,” he says. “We have an attorney general that will prosecute people for price gouging. This is the time to help our neighbors, this is not the time to take advantage of our neighbors.” | “It’s disgusting if anybody price gouges,” he says. “We have an attorney general that will prosecute people for price gouging. This is the time to help our neighbors, this is not the time to take advantage of our neighbors.” |
| 5.22pm BST | 5.22pm BST |
| 17:22 | 17:22 |
| What we know so far | What we know so far |
| Hurricane Irma is barrelling toward the southern Bahamas on a course toward southern Florida, with extremely dangerous winds of 150mph (250kph). The storm’s eye doubled in size overnight, and the hurricane’s width is larger than the state of Florida. | Hurricane Irma is barrelling toward the southern Bahamas on a course toward southern Florida, with extremely dangerous winds of 150mph (250kph). The storm’s eye doubled in size overnight, and the hurricane’s width is larger than the state of Florida. |
| More than 20 people were confirmed killed around the Caribbean so far. The dead include nine on French St Martin and St Barts, four in the US Virgin Islands, three on Puerto Rico, two on Dutch St Maarten, one in Barbuda, and one in Anguilla. Four deaths were reported on the British Virgin Islands but they have not been corroborated. | |
| Florida braced for what may be its worst storm in living memory, with a state-wide hurricane warning. “This is a catastrophic storm our state has never seen,” said governor Rick Scott. “We can rebuild your home, we cannot rebuild your life.” | Florida braced for what may be its worst storm in living memory, with a state-wide hurricane warning. “This is a catastrophic storm our state has never seen,” said governor Rick Scott. “We can rebuild your home, we cannot rebuild your life.” |
| Officials feared storm surges of three to 10ft and ordered more than a million people to evacuate from coastal areas of south Florida and Georgia. Travellers clogged highways northward and the governor suspended tolls and struggled to get fuel to gas stations running out of supplies. The mayor of Miami-Dade, Carlos Gimenez, said the evacuation is the largest in the county’s history. | Officials feared storm surges of three to 10ft and ordered more than a million people to evacuate from coastal areas of south Florida and Georgia. Travellers clogged highways northward and the governor suspended tolls and struggled to get fuel to gas stations running out of supplies. The mayor of Miami-Dade, Carlos Gimenez, said the evacuation is the largest in the county’s history. |
| Shelters opened all around Florida, and officials pleaded that residents in inland areas should plan to have food and water for three days minimum. The governor closed schools and universities around the state to allow for more room. “After the storm passes, we’ll be here to lift everyone up,” Scott said. “We will get through this together.” | Shelters opened all around Florida, and officials pleaded that residents in inland areas should plan to have food and water for three days minimum. The governor closed schools and universities around the state to allow for more room. “After the storm passes, we’ll be here to lift everyone up,” Scott said. “We will get through this together.” |
| The storm is expected to land somewhere on the peninsula late Saturday or on Sunday. Brock Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that Irma could be the most severe hurricane to ever hit the US. “It’s not a question of if Florida’s going to be impacted. It’s a question of how bad Florida’s going to be impacted.” | The storm is expected to land somewhere on the peninsula late Saturday or on Sunday. Brock Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that Irma could be the most severe hurricane to ever hit the US. “It’s not a question of if Florida’s going to be impacted. It’s a question of how bad Florida’s going to be impacted.” |
| Cuba is evacuating tourists from coastal resorts and warning residents to move inland, and the British territories of Turks and Caicos suffered nearly directly under the storm’s path. | Cuba is evacuating tourists from coastal resorts and warning residents to move inland, and the British territories of Turks and Caicos suffered nearly directly under the storm’s path. |
| Hurricane Jose grew to a category four storm east of the Caribbean, with a path toward some of the same islands that have just emerged from Irene’s winds. On the tiny island of Barbuda, where an estimated 90% of buildings were destroyed, authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation to the larger island of Antigua. | Hurricane Jose grew to a category four storm east of the Caribbean, with a path toward some of the same islands that have just emerged from Irene’s winds. On the tiny island of Barbuda, where an estimated 90% of buildings were destroyed, authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation to the larger island of Antigua. |
| American, British, French and Dutch relief forces and military personnel started to move toward or arrive at Caribbean islands hit by the storm. | American, British, French and Dutch relief forces and military personnel started to move toward or arrive at Caribbean islands hit by the storm. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.13pm BST | |