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What we know about Hurricane Irma's impact on Florida What we know so far as Hurricane Irma lashes Florida
(about 2 hours later)
As Florida wakes up to the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Irma, here is what we know about the latest stages of the storm: Irma is continuing to lash Florida as it moves into the north of the state, but it is losing strength and has been downgraded to a tropical storm, with sustained windspeeds of 70mph.
Hurricane Irma is continuing to lash Florida as it moves north of Tampa, but is losing strength and is set to be downgraded to a tropical storm later on Monday. It was a category 4 storm when it first made landfall in the Florida Keys, but is now a category 1 hurricane, with sustained wind speeds of 75mph and is likely to reclassified as a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). More 6.2 million homes (62%) are without power in Florida and scores of people have been rescued. More than 160,000 people are thought to be waiting out the storm in shelters across the state.
Forecasters say they expect Irma’s centre to stay inland over Florida and then move into Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. It will weaken into a tropical storm over far northern Florida or southern Georgia on Monday as it speeds up . A flash flood warning has been issued for Jacksonville on the north-east Florida coast where record flooding was recorded on the St Johns River. Video showed the water overlapping harbour walls and entering homes and offices. Residents have been urged to shelter in higher floors.
More than 4.2m homes are without power in Florida. A police officer and prison officer were killed in southern Florida in a car crash thought to have been caused by the hurricane. Miami International airport will remain closed until at least Tuesday. Three construction cranes have crashed to the ground in southern Florida. Hurricane Jose, which had threatened to batter the Caribbean islands hit by Irma, has weakened to a category 2 storm is set to linger away from land in the coming days. According to the latest update from the US National Hurricane Centre Jose now has sustained wind speeds of 105mph.
In the Caribbean, the premier of the British Virgin Islands, Orlando Smith, has asked for immediate aid from the British government to get the territories back on their feet after being devastated by Irma last week. He said the situation was “critical” and called for a “comprehensive package” to rebuild the islands. At least 10 people were killed when Irma tore through Cuba over the weekend. Among the victims were two passengers of a bus in Santiago de Cuba when part of a fourth-floor balcony fell on the bu. Three of those killed died in their homes after ignoring evacuation orders, the authorities said.
The clean-up operation is continuing in the Caribbean, where it is thought 28 people have been killed. A police officer and prisoner officer were killed in a car crash in southern Florida thought to have been caused by the hurricane.Miami International Airport will remain closed until at least Tuesday. Three construction cranes have crashed to the ground in southern Florida.
French president Emmanuel Macron has promised to visit the badly hit French island of St Martin on Tuesday. The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said the death toll on the Dutch part of St Martin had doubled to four, and that 70% of homes had been damaged or destroyed. In the Caribbean, the premier of the British Virgin Islands, Orlando Smith, has asked for immediate aid from the British government to get the territories back on their feet after being devastated by Irma last week. He said the situation was “critical” and called for a “comprehensive package” to rebuild the islands. Entrepreneur and British Virgin Island resident, Richard Branson, called for a “disaster recovery Marshall plan”.
The UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson ,has insisted Britain is doing all it can to help after facing fresh criticism from Britons stranded in the Caribbean. Johnson said 700 British troops were in the region, with UK police also arriving. The government has already set aside £32m in aid and will match public donations to the Red Cross appeal. The clean-up operation is continuing in the Caribbean where it is thought 38 people have been killed.
President Trump issued emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Puerto Rico. A major disaster declaration has also been issued for the US Virgin Islands. French president Emmanuel Macron has promised to visit the badly-hit French island of St Martin on Tuesday. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the death toll on the Dutch part of St. Martin had doubled to four, and that 70% of homes had been damaged or destroyed.
Amid urgent warnings from state officials to evacuate before it was too late, downtown Miami was all but abandoned by Saturday. Extensive flooding was reported on Sunday, with tornado alerts and one twister confirmed. Two large construction cranes in Miami were broken by the storm. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has insisted Britain is doing all it can to help after facing fresh criticism from Britons stranded in the Caribbean. Johnson said 700 British troops were in the region, with UK police also arriving. The government has already set aside £32m in aid and will match public donations to the Red Cross appeal.
A Florida sheriff has advised people not to shoot at the hurricane as it could backfire.