As it has moved across the Caribbean, Hurricane Irma has devastated islands like Barbuda and damaged life-saving infrastructure elsewhere. Irma is a huge storm and is expected to maintain its ferocity and make landfall in Florida by early Sunday morning. Parts of South Florida are now under official hurricane and storm surge watches as the first storm winds could hit the Florida Keys as early as Saturday afternoon.
According to forecasters, the storm surge watch means that water levels could reach as much as ten feet above ground level.
Storm surge predicted is worst case scenario, but could still be five to 10 feet above ground. West coast's flat shelf likely harder hit. pic.twitter.com/8KR7mjlUM8
— Jenny Staletovich (@jenstaletovich) September 7, 2017
The hurricane watch area is expected to expand to other parts of the state soon, as well.
South Florida continued making frantic preparations early Thursday, with highways growing clogged, long lines at gas pumps — and some already drained — and supplies flying off shelves. To speed up refilling gas stations, Gov. Rick Scott ordered state police to escort fuel trucks through traffic.
“We know fuel is important and absolutely devoting every state resource to addressing this,” Scott said. “While we are making progress, you will see lines and outages.”
Mandatory evacuations have started in several areas already with shelters opening in sections of Miami-Dade county that have not been evacuated. Several hospitals in Florida have already evacuated its patients and relocated them to hospitals as far away as Alabama, and others have stopped receiving new patients because of plans to evacuate before the weekend.
As Irma is set to rumble toward Florida, forecasters have also began to monitor Hurricane Jose which has formed out in the Atlantic and could follow a similar path as Irma.
(Via Miami Herald)