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Millions flee from Hurricane Irma's path as Florida prepares for deadly hit Millions flee from Hurricane Irma's path as Florida prepares for deadly hit
(about 4 hours later)
More than 6.3 million people evacuated from the path of deadly Hurricane Irma on Saturday as one the most powerful storms in history lined up a dreadful final act: a potentially overwhelming and catastrophic direct strike on Florida. More than 6.3 million people evacuated from the path of Hurricane Irma on Saturday as one the most powerful storms in history lined up a potentially catastrophic direct strike on Florida.
Slightly weakened after hitting Cuba but still packing an enormously powerful punch, effects of the storm that has claimed more than 20 lives during a week-long 185mph rampage across the Caribbean were already being felt in the Sunshine State by lunchtime. Slightly weakened after hitting Cuba but still packing an enormously powerful punch, effects of the storm that has claimed more than 20 lives during a week-long 185mph rampage across the Caribbean reached deep into the Sunshine State by late afternoon.
The centre of the category 4 storm was predicted to make landfall in the Florida Keys, the vulnerable low-lying island chain off the state’s southern coast, in the early hours of Sunday. But the outer bands of a storm that Florida governor Rick Scott warned was “wider than the entire state” lashed coastal and inland areas soon after daybreak on Saturday, sparking tornado warnings and widespread loss of power. The centre of the category 4 storm was predicted to make landfall in the Florida Keys, the vulnerable low-lying island chain off the state’s southern coast, in the early hours of Sunday. But the outer bands of a storm that Florida governor Rick Scott warned was “wider than the entire state” lashed coastal and inland areas through the day, sparking tornado warnings and widespread loss of power.
“The storm is here,” Scott said at a morning briefing in Sarasota County, at which he warned an expected 6ft to 12ft surge of sea water would engulf houses. “The storm is here,” Scott said at a briefing in Sarasota County, at which he warned that an expected 6ft to 15ft surge of sea water would engulf houses.
“Hurricane Irma is now impacting our state. Millions of Floridians will see major hurricane impact with deadly storm surge and life-threatening wind. If you have been ordered to evacuate you need to leave now. Not tonight, not in an hour, you need to go right now.”“Hurricane Irma is now impacting our state. Millions of Floridians will see major hurricane impact with deadly storm surge and life-threatening wind. If you have been ordered to evacuate you need to leave now. Not tonight, not in an hour, you need to go right now.”
The projected track of Hurricane Irma took it up the west coast of Florida during Sunday and in line for a direct hit on the 3 million residents of the Tampa Bay area early on Monday, still as a major hurricane with sustained winds of greater than 140mph. A tornado watch was issued for all of south Florida. The projected track of Irma took it up the west coast of Florida during Sunday and in line for a direct hit on the 3 million residents of the Tampa Bay area early on Monday, still as a major hurricane with sustained winds of greater than 140mph. A tornado watch was issued for all of south Florida.
If you have been ordered to evacuate you need to leave now. Not tonight, not in an hour, you need to go right nowIf you have been ordered to evacuate you need to leave now. Not tonight, not in an hour, you need to go right now
Radar images of Irma over Cuba’s northern coast mid-morning on Saturday showed that the storm’s core had been disrupted by its interaction with land, raising hopes that its power could be diminished by the time it struck Florida. But forecasters were quick to warn there was little change to Irma’s deadly threat. Radar images of Irma over Cuba’s northern coast showed that the storm’s core had been disrupted by its interaction with land, raising hopes that its power could be diminished. But later data showed it regaining shape as it moved back into the warm, open waters of the Florida Straits.
“It does not look like the same hurricane we had yesterday but that doesn’t mean it can’t make a comeback as it gets over that warm water to the north of Cuba,” said Max Mayfield, a former director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC). “We’re concerned that as it eases away from Cuba it will strengthen again,” said Max Mayfield, a former director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC). “The core of the hurricane, where the really devastating winds are going to be, is going to move right over the lower Florida Keys early tomorrow morning, and then likely another landfall somewhere on the south-west Florida coast.”
“Even if it weakens more it’s still going to be a dangerous major hurricane as it comes over the Florida Keys and South Florida.” The restrengthening was confirmed by the NHC’s late-afternoon advisory, which forecast a category 4 hurricane at landfall. The agency had earlier adjusted the projected track of Irma’s centre further west, away from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in the south east, home to more than 6 million people.
The weakening was confirmed by the NHC’s late-morning advisory, which temporarily downgraded the storm to category 3 and also adjusted the projected track of Irma’s centre further west and away from the urban areas of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in the south east, home to more than 6 million people. But NHC specialist Lixion Avila warned that hurricane force winds stretched more than 70 miles from Irma’s centre and that no part of Florida was out of danger.
But NHC specialist Lixion Avila’s forecast warned that hurricane force winds stretched more than 70 miles from Irma’s centre of circulation. “There is an imminent danger of life-threatening storm surge flooding in portions of central and southern Florida, including the Florida Keys,” he said. “Irma is expected to bring life-threatening wind and storm surge to the Florida Keys and south-western Florida as an extremely dangerous major hurricane.”
“There is an imminent danger of life-threatening storm surge flooding in portions of central and southern Florida, including the Florida Keys,” he said. “Irma is expected to make landfall in Florida as an extremely dangerous major hurricane, bringing life-threatening wind effects to the state regardless of the exact track of the centre.” All but deserted from a mandatory evacuation order that came into effect in midweek, the near sea-level Florida Keys island chain was expected to be inundated by up to 15ft of water.
The shifting track was bad news for the Florida Keys, where the Monroe County administrator Roman Gastesi said on Friday: “This, folks, is the big one.” All but deserted from a mandatory evacuation order that came into effect in midweek, the near sea-level island chain was expected to be inundated by up to 15ft of water. Officials reported that the mass evacuation of millions of residents of coastal and vulnerable areas close to inland water had mostly gone smoothly, despite shortages of fuel and gridlock on major highways.
Officials reported that the mass evacuation of millions of residents of coastal and vulnerable areas close to inland water had mostly gone smoothly, despite shortages of fuel and gridlock on Florida’s major highways later in the week. “Very few cars are out there, citizens have taken evacuation warnings very seriously, our shelters are beginning to get full,” said Scott Israel, sheriff of Broward County, where a 4pm curfew was ordered. By late afternoon, however, the northbound I-75 near Ocala was gridlocked.
“Very few cars are out there, citizens have taken evacuation warnings very seriously, our shelters are beginning to get full,” said Scott Israel, sheriff of Broward County, where a 4pm curfew was ordered. Further north in Georgia, another half-million residents were told to evacuate. Although Irma is forecast to weaken as it travels north over land, authorities in Georgia and Alabama urged residents to be on alert for heavy rains, wind and flooding arriving as early as Monday.
Further north in Georgia, another half-million coastal residents were told to evacuate, although the threat to states neighbouring Florida appeared to be diminishing. Across Florida, close to 100,000 customers had lost power by late Saturday, most of them in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Crews worked to restore about half of them before strengthening winds made it too dangerous to work, according to Florida Power and Light. The number of outages was expected to grow.
In Miami-Dade county, almost 50,000 were without power, a number expected to grow. Carlos Gimenez, the mayor, said: “There have been rumours about Miami-Dade being in the clear, being safe. Let me make this clear, Miami-Dade is still being affected by Irma and there are already reports of hurricane force gusts. A serious storm is coming our way and will be here through Sunday.” In Miami-Dade county, almost 50,000 were without power. Carlos Gimenez, the mayor, said: “There have been rumours about Miami-Dade being in the clear, being safe. Let me make this clear, Miami-Dade is still being affected by Irma and there are already reports of hurricane force gusts. A serious storm is coming our way and will be here through Sunday.”
In Miami, the streets were virtually empty on Saturday morning, with all petrol stations, supermarkets and other commercial outlets closed. The city of 6 million was in a state of foreboding, waiting to find out what nature had in store for the fourth-largest US urban area. In Miami, the streets were virtually empty by Saturday morning, with all petrol stations, supermarkets and other commercial outlets closed. The city was in a state of foreboding, waiting to find out what nature had in store for the fourth-largest US urban area.
In Tampa, grocery store shelves were bare of the essentials – bleach, soup, beans and bread. In one branch of the Publix supermarket, deliveries of ice were announced on a loud speaker with a two-bag maximum per person. Cases of water were also limited to two per person. Every shopper had water; nearly all had beer. Phone alarms rang continuously as weather warnings came in. In St Petersburg, near Tampa, shelves were bare of essentials – bleach, soup, beans and bread. In one branch of the Publix supermarket, deliveries of ice were announced on a loud speaker with a two-bag maximum per person. Cases of water were also limited to two per person. Every shopper had water. Nearly all had beer.
Irma claimed its first fatality in Florida on Friday when a 57-year-old man fell and hit his head attempting to put up hurricane shutters on a second-story window. As the storm approached, people on the western edge of the bay in Pinellas County scrambled to get ready for likely 110mph sustained winds.
There was no official word from Donald Trump, but Governor Scott said he had been in almost constant touch with the White House and Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), which had pledged support for the recovery that will follow Irma’s passing. “We’ve been having press conferences two or three times a day trying to get people informed, to get them to evacuate,” said Pat Gerard, a county commissioner. “Of course they’re not doing it, but it’s just what they do.”
The last seriously destructive storm to hit Tampa Bay was in 1921, a category 3 hurricane that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) called the “forgotten nightmare”.
Around the county, many said they were making last-minute preparations to for the storm. Putting plywood on windows; charging phones; stocking propane, gas, water and food.
Irma claimed its first fatality in Florida on Friday when a 57-year-old man fell attempting to put up hurricane shutters on a second-story window.
Late on Saturday Donald Trump issued a video of his remarks at a cabinet meeting at Camp David. “This is a storm of enormous destructive power,” the president tweeted. “I ask everyone in the storm’s path to heed ALL instructions from government officials.”
Governor Scott said he had been in almost constant touch with the White House and Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
“I’ve talked to President Trump, he has promised all federal resources [and] I’ve talked to Brock Long, who runs Fema, this morning, and he’s guaranteed us all federal resources,” Scott said.“I’ve talked to President Trump, he has promised all federal resources [and] I’ve talked to Brock Long, who runs Fema, this morning, and he’s guaranteed us all federal resources,” Scott said.
“Florida’s tough, Florida’s resilient and Florida’s unbreakable. This is a great state and we’re going to come out of this very strong.”“Florida’s tough, Florida’s resilient and Florida’s unbreakable. This is a great state and we’re going to come out of this very strong.”
The foreign office has a hotline for Britons affected by Hurricane Irma in the United States and the Caribbean: +44 207 008 0000The foreign office has a hotline for Britons affected by Hurricane Irma in the United States and the Caribbean: +44 207 008 0000