Update 9:55 P.M.: Irma has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm, but its still-formidable winds — topping at 105 miles per hour, per the National Hurricane Center — are expected to keep moving on a north-northwest path overnight. The center of the storm is now 35 miles east of Fort Myers, Fla, the NHC said at 9:00 P.M.
The storm first made landfall in the Florida Keys early Sunday morning, and continued up the west coast of the state. But its intensity and size meant it was felt throughout the peninsula, with several tornado warnings being issued in towns like Fort Lauderdale as the day went by. Storm surges rocked the Keys, Miami, and, as the storm continued on its northward path, Marco Island and Naples. It became apparent that Irma was headed further west than had been expected on Saturday night, and officials in the Gulf Coast scrambled to set up shelters before the storm hit Sunday afternoon.
That second landfall, which happened around 5 P.M. Sunday, helped weaken the storm on its way to Tampa. Collier County bore the brunt of the storm’s winds, while the more populous Tampa-St. Petersburg region “avoided its worst-case scenario,” according to one meteorologist. But the region is still bracing for strong winds:
Here’s video on the ground in Tampa, from the local ABC affiliate:
#Hurricane #Irma winds relentlessly battering downtown Tampa. Hard to believe how tightly these Palm trees hold onto their fronds pic.twitter.com/bAdDLAlbZp
— Josh Knight (@ABC7Josh) September 11, 2017
The extent of the damage to Florida is not yet known. But at least three Floridians have died as a result of the storm, in addition to several casualties in the Caribbean. At least 2 million Floridians are without power, and more than 6 million were ordered to evacuate before Irma hit. Infrastructure damage was apparent in Miami, where three cranes snapped from the heavy winds.
President Trump and his cabinet were tracking Irma in Camp David, and making necessary preparations:
Serious @Cabinet meeting today, called by @POTUS at Camp David. Reports on #Irma's track, potential impact, fed & state preparedness. pic.twitter.com/YEjRWA9vLB
— Sonny Perdue (@SonnyPerdue) September 9, 2017
Developing 12:15 P.M.: Hurricane Irma, now a Category 4 hurricane, touched down in the Florida Keys early Sunday morning and is moving through the state. At 12:00 P.M., the National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, and the Weather Prediction Center reported winds in excess of 90 miles per hour in Miami and Key Largo. According to the WPC, rainfall is expected to accumulate at a rate of two to four inches per hour and to cause flash flooding across the southeastern United States.
This post will be updated as events develop.