A state of emergency has been declared in all Florida counties as the rapidly intensifying Hurricane Irma — now a Category 5 storm — is expected to cut a swath through the Caribbean and then shift northwards towards the US coast.
Image: NASA/GOES
As residents along the US Gulf Coast begin the long and arduous process of recovering from Hurricane Harvey, a new threat is looming about 515km east of the Leeward Islands. The latest observations from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center show the storm moving westwards towards the Caribbean at about 22km/h. Irma is expected to hit the Caribbean and possibly the US mainland later this week.
The latest NHC advisory warned that Irma will be a “major hurricane located somewhere north of Cuba and south of Andros Island in the Bahamas”, and that “preparations should be rushed to completion in the hurricane warning area”.
Image: National Hurricane Center
Reports from NOAA and US Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft show that Irma is continuing to gain strength, with maximum sustained winds approaching 280km/h and with higher gusts. The “extremely dangerous hurricane” is forecast to remain a “powerful Category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days,” says NOAA.
The storm’s first landfall is expected early Wednesday on the island of Anguilla (Wednesday night AEST). From there, it’s projected to drift west through the Caribbean, threatening Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and dozens of other islands. The Leeward Islands are bracing for storm surges that could reach as high as 2.1 to 3.4m.
Projections show the hurricane eventually turning northwards, where it could reach the Florida Keys and the east coast of Florida by Friday night (Saturday morning AEST). An evacuation decision for the Florida Keys could happen as early as today, as it can take about three days for residents to flee the state’s southernmost regions.
Hurricane #Irma “Beast Mode” continues Tuesday mornimg with 150 knots winds … that’s 10 knots into Category 5. pic.twitter.com/NRf9HtktJ0
— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) September 5, 2017
Taking no chances, Florida governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties yesterday. His Puerto Rican counterpart, Ricardo Rosselló, has done the same. In Puerto Rico, worried residents are scrambling to collect supplies, such as food and drinking water. Some have lined up outside of stores for hours, concerned that power could be out for weeks. Schools have been cancelled, and many business remain closed. Similar scenes are playing out in Miami.
The @Publix on SW 27 Ave in #Miami is almost sold out of #water. Overheard staffer saying they’ve gone thru 10 pallets today. #HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/uUyaHWJe1i
— Tom Martinelli (@firstnameTom) September 4, 2017
Other areas under hurricane warnings include the British and US Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St Eustatius, St Martin/Sint Maarten and St Barts.
“Irma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches [10 to 20cm] with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches [30cm] across the northern Leeward Islands, the British and US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico,” warned NOAA. “These rainfall amounts may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.”
If you live in any of the areas currently under a hurricane warning or watch, please take all necessary precautions and stay tuned to your local weather reports.