Hurricane Irma evacuation: Florida running out of time
After sowing the seeds of destruction in Cuba, Hurricane Irma is powering towards Florida and is expected to make landfall soon. As Florida braces for Irma, Governor Rick Scott has told the residents that it may be too late to drive away from danger-zones. He further urged the residents to get to shelter homes immediately. Let's see what's happening on the ground.
Irma expected to make a landfall in Florida today!
Irma is expected to hit the Florida coast on September 10. Outer bands are already being felt in Miami as heavy rains are lashing the city. Florida Keys, an island-chain to the south, has already suffered minor damages and is bracing for the major impact.
Irma's trail of destruction
Barbuda, Antigua, Turks and Caicos Islands : Widespread damage to property and infrastructure. St. Martin and St Barthelemy: 9 were reported dead and 7 missing in the French territories; Two dead in the Dutch territory, Sint Marten. Barbuda and Anguilla: One person reported dead in each. Puerto Rico: Electricity infrastructure hit, one person dead. Cuba: "significant damage" reported; Details are currently unknown.
Hurricane Irma: Expect high-velocity winds, storm surges
Irma is the first Category-V storm to hit Cuba since 1924. According to the the National Hurricane Center, Irma could be carrying winds with a velocity of upto 193 km/h. Authorities warn that the storm surges could get as high as 15 feet.
Florida braces for Irma
At least 6.3 million people, accounting for about 25% of the population has been ordered to evacuate. According to Scott, around 50,000 people have already approached shelters which are reportedly filling up fast. While curfews were imposed in Miami and Broward County to clear road-traffic, flights have also been suspended. Tourists and residents at Florida Keys, a resort archipelago, were also evacuated earlier.
Sushma Swaraj: All Indians reported safe
More hurricanes are coming
Hurricane Jose, another storm in the Atlantic behind Irma, has been upgraded to category four status with winds of 240km/h. It's following a similar path as Irma, affecting relief efforts in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Katia, a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, has been upgraded to a category two hurricane status with winds of 140km/h.
