Reports: Strengthening Irma closes in on Florida Keys with catastrophic wind, storm surge

Reports: Strengthening Irma closes in on Florida Keys with catastrophic wind, storm surge

September 10, 2017, 7:32:39 AM EDT

Hurricane Irma to unleash life-threatening conditions in Florida

Hurricane Irma to unleash life-threatening conditions in Florida

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Hurricane-force winds, tornado warnings and surpassed rainfall records have already unfolded as a result of Hurricane Irma across Key West and southern Florida.

With this major hurricane bearing down on the state, the time for preparations has ended for residents in Irma's path.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned that Irma is “a deadly storm and our state has never seen anything like it. Once the storm starts, law enforcement cannot save you."

Irma is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane just east of Key West around 8 a.m. Sunday.

Ferocious winds will not only knock out power for days, and possibly weeks in some areas, but also threaten catastrophic damage. Gusts of 100-160 mph will blast southern Florida.

In total, 7 million people were urged to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma, which is the largest evacuation in United States history. Nearly 6.3 million people have been asked to evacuate Florida, which is more than 30 percent of the state's population.

Click here to see previous reports of how Florida is preparing for Irma.

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7:31 a.m. EDT Sunday: Storm surge is starting to overtake Key West, Florida.

7:14 a.m. EDT Sunday: Key West, Florida, recorded an 80-mph wind gust as Irma closes in.

At 6:53 a.m. EDT, the pressure at Key West dropped to 962.5 millibars, setting a new record for the lowest pressure ever recorded at that location. The old record was 963.4 millibars from Sept. 1948. Pressure is still dropping, however.

7:00 a.m. EDT Sunday: An extreme wind warning has been issued for the Lower Keys in Florida as Irma's eye wall moves onshore from the south.

Wind gusts up to 160 mph will be possible within the eye wall. While the Extreme Wind Warning is in effect through 9:15 a.m., the Keys will get a brief reprieve from the lashing winds as Irma's eye passes overhead.

The Keys lost power hours ago, but areas north of Irma's current impacts (central and northern Florida) still have access to electricity. However, Florida Light & Power is anticipating as many as 9 million power outages through the early week.

5:59 a.m. EDT Sunday: Extreme, hurricane-force winds are imminent in the lower Florida Keys. Anyone that is still the Keys should go to an interior room away from windows, officials warn.

5:37 a.m. EDT Sunday: Nearly 300,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to Florida Power & Light and Keys Energy Services.

With Irma's landfall due to occur between 7-8 a.m. Sunday, it would be the first Category 4 hurricane to strike Florida since Charley in 2004. 

4:05 a.m. EDT Sunday: Irma is now 55 miles south-southeast of Key West, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.

Storm surge is already impacting Key West, with total water levels now 2 feet above normal. 

Fort Pierce, Florida, has already broken its daily rainfall record for Sept. 10 and the sun hasn't risen yet. The city has received 3.93 inches of rain through 4 a.m. Sunday, surpassing the previous record of 1.63 inches.

3:33 a.m. EDT Sunday: A flash flood warning is in effect for northern St. Lucie County until 5:15 a.m. There are numerous reports of impassible roads in the town of Fort Pierce, Florida, with water entering homes as well. 

2:58 a.m. EDT Sunday: Irma's relentless rain and furious winds have already impacted communities in the eastern and western parts of Florida. This video shows the storm's impacts in the city of Boynton Beach, located on Florida's east coast, about an hour north of Miami. 

2:05 a.m. EDT Sunday: Irma has strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane again. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and is located about 70 miles south-southeast of Key West, Florida. 

This satellite image shows Irma approaching the Florida Keys early Sunday morning. (Photo/NOAA)

Hurricane-force winds of 79 mph have been measured at the National Weather Service office in Key West, while a ship over 200 miles to the northwest of Irma's eye reported a wave height of 13 feet. 

1:19 a.m. EDT Sunday: According to the Broward County Emergency Operations Center, the town of Davie, Florida, is reporting that a wastewater pump station has lost power and is not pumping. It is anticipated that the pump station will overflow around 7-9 a.m. Sunday.

This could result in contaminated standing water around the communities of Emerald Isles and Jasmine Lakes Developments.

12:47 a.m. EDT Sunday: The U.S. Coast Guard announced that it was setting "port conditions Zulu" for the port of Jacksonville and Fernandina due to the expected gale force winds from Irma.

Port condition Zulu is an operational move instituted by the Coast Guard captain. During this time, no vessel may enter or transit within these ports without the port captain's permission.

12:25 a.m. EDT Sunday: A tropical storm watch for Irma has now been extended into central and southern Georgia, including the Atlanta metro area. 

11:19 p.m. EDT Saturday: The National Hurricane Center has discontinued the storm surge warning north of North Miami Beach to Jupiter Inlet in Florida.

Meanwhile, the NHC extended the storm surge warning westward from Suwannee River to the Ochlockonee River.

As power outages continue to increase across southern Florida, Irma is currently moving northwest at 6 mph with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, according to the NHC. 

10:22 p.m. EDT Saturday: Hurricane-force winds are beginning to pound the Florida Keys as Irma approaches. The hurricane is expected to make landfall east of Key West on Sunday morning. 

9:55 EDT Saturday: As Hurricane Irma’s strong and dangerous winds intensify in South Florida, some law enforcement agencies are beginning to send officers and emergency personnel to safety until winds calm down. 

9:41 p.m. EDT Saturday: It’s possible that power outages resulting from Hurricane Irma will be “extremely broad and probably long lived,” according to FEMA Director Brock Long.

Florida Power and Light estimated that the powerful hurricane could leave about 3.4 million of its customers without electricity during the storm, according to CNN.

More than 72,000 people are currently without power in Florida as of 9 p.m. EDT, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

7:50 p.m. EDT Saturday: Tampa International Airport has officially closed as Irma closes in on Florida.

According CBS News, to 9,900 flights were canceled so far at airports in Hurricane Irma’s path. 

6:44 p.m. EDT Saturday: A possible tornado was spotted in Oakland Park, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale.

More than 80,000 power outages are being reported by Florida Power & Light.

6:20 p.m. EDT Saturday: President Donald Trump urges everyone to heed all warnings, because Hurricane Irma is a storm with tremendous power. 

There is a blowout tide in Long Island, Bahamas. Strong east winds from Irma are blowing water away from the coast and causing areas that normally are under seawater to be dry.

"It’s likely flooding on the other side of that island as Irma’s winds cause water to pile up along the shore," AccuWeather Meteorologist Frank Strait said.

These strong east winds are forcing seawater to pile up along the east coast of Florida, which is leading to some flooding.

Source https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/reports-strengthening-irma-closes-in-on-florida-keys-with-catastrophic-wind-storm-surge/70002682