Hurricane Irma has strengthened to a Category 4 storm today, and the National Hurricane Center said there is an "increasing chance" that Florida and the Florida Keys will see "some impacts from" Irma later this week and weekend, though it's still too early to determine what direct effects it may have.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Monday declared a state of emergency for every county to ensure that local governments have enough "time, resources and flexibility to get prepared for this dangerous storm," according to a statement from his office.
The official forecast track includes parts of south Florida, including Miami.
Scott said in the statement that Irma is a "life-threatening" storm and Florida "must be prepared."
"In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Scott said, "and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared."
The storm -- which is currently closing in on the Caribbean with winds up to 130 mph -- is expected to be near the Cuba coast by Saturday.
Ride along with WP-3D Orion #NOAA42 for the first flight through #HurricaneIrma. Flights continue today. Credit LT Rob Mitchell/NOAA pic.twitter.com/7sjigdNiv7— NOAAHurricaneHunters (@NOAA_HurrHunter) September 4, 2017
The storm is expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours as it moves west, with winds of 150 mph as it impacts portions of the Leeward Islands on Tuesday.
Tuesday afternoon and evening rain and winds are expected to move into the northern Leeward Islands, including Antigua and Saint Martin, with the worst conditions occurring Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.
Hurricane warnings -- which are usually issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds -- are in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy as of 11 a.m. ET, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The Virgins Islands and Puerto Rico are forecast to see deteriorating conditions throughout the day on Wednesday with the worst of the rain and wind arriving Wednesday night.
Hurricane watches -- which typically are issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds -- have been issued for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra and Guadeloupe.
Some Caribbean island were making preparations as the storm approached.
In Puerto Rico, a state of emergency has been declared that activates the National Guard.
At a news conference today Puerto Rico Gov. Ricard Rossello warned of flooding and power outages.
He canceled classes for Tuesday and declared a half-day of work for the U.S. territory, and said the government was preparing 456 shelters on the island, which can house 62,000 people.
In Antigua, Prime Minister Gaston Browne recommended taking preventative measures, like cleaning drains, The Associated Press reported Sunday. Workers were also seen pruning trees and shrubs to help keep them from tearing down phone and power lines, the AP said.
In a statement, Browne said while "the passage of a hurricane is not a matter to be taken lightly ... we must not panic," according to the AP.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in the state as rapidly growing Hurricane Irma, now a Category 4 storm, is expected to make landfall later this week.
The state of emergency has been issued for all of Florida’s 67 counties. Scott said that the state would “prepare for the worst and hope for the best” as Irma is expected to hit the state around Friday.
The governor tweeted Monday that he urges "all Floridians to remain vigilant and stay alert to local weather and news and visit FLGetAPlan.com today to get prepared."
“Hurricane Irma poses a severe threat to the entire State of Florida and requires that timely precautions are taken to protect the communities, critical infrastructure, and general welfare of this State,” the executive order stated.
Scott suggested on Twitter that state residents should use their Labor Day to prepare for Irma's arrival.
The announcement came after Puerto Rico’s governor issued a state of emergency Monday. Irma is expected to hit the northwest Caribbean Tuesday, where government workers are preparing for the storm to make landfall.
Emergency officials have warned that the storm could dump up to 10 inches of rain, unleash landslides and dangerous flash floods and generate waves of up to 23 feet as the storm draws closer.
A hurricane watch was in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the British and U.S. Virgin islands and Guadeloupe. A tropical storm watch was issued for Dominica.
The Category 4 storm was moving west-southwest at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds up to 130 mph, according to the U.S. Hurricane Center. The storm was centered about 490 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
No comments:
Post a Comment