HURRICANE TRACKER: Irma Carrying 155 MPH Sustained Winds, Located Around 345 Miles SE of Miami

ABOVE VIDEO: State and local officials brief the press on the status of Hurricane Irma from the Brevard County Emergency facility.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. report shows Irma sustained winds holding at 155 mph and labeled a strong Category 4 hurricane.

The center of Irma is located around 345 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.

Irma’s movement has slightly slowed down, once again, moving to the west at 12 mph with an expected turn to the northwest, towards Florida, late Saturday.

Irma is forecast to remain a powerful category 4 hurricane as it approaches Florida.

A Hurricane Warning has been extended northward for east coast of Florida to Sebastian Inlet, and along the west coast of the
peninsula northward to Anna Maria Island.

A Hurricane Watch has been extended northward along the west coast of Florida to Suwannee River.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Glades, Hendry, Inland Broward, Inland Palm Beach, Metro Broward, and Metro Palm Beach

“A Category 4 Hurricane can inflict well-built framed homes to sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls,”according to the National Hurricane Center.

“Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.”

On the forecast track, the eye of Irma should move near the north coast of Cuba and the central Bahamas today and Saturday, and be near the Florida Keys and the southern Florida Peninsula Sunday morning.

A few tornadoes will be possible beginning Saturday morning across south Florida.

STORM SURGE

A Storm Surge Warning and Hurricane Warning are in effect for Coastal Broward, Coastal Collier, Coastal Miami-Dade, Coastal Palm Beach, Far South Miami-Dade, Inland Collier, Inland Miami-Dade, Mainland Monroe, and Metro Miami-Dade.

The Hurricane Watch has been extended northward along the east coast of Florida to the Flagler/Volusia County Line, and along the west coast of Florida to Anclote River.

The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water is expected to reach the following HEIGHTS ABOVE GROUND if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…

SW Florida from Captiva to Cape Sable…8 to 12 ft
Jupiter Inlet to Cape Sable including the Florida Keys…5 to 10 ft
Venice to Captiva…5 to 8 ft
Anclote River to Venice including Tampa Bay…3 to 5 ft
Boca Raton to Flagler/Volusia County line…3 to 6 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

WIND

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.

RAINFALL

Irma is expected to produce the following rain accumulations through Tuesday night:

– Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Turks and Caicos…additional 1 to 3
inches.
– Southern Bahamas and northern Cuba…10 to 15 inches, isolated 20
inches.
– Southern Cuba…4 to 8 inches, isolated 12 inches.
– Jamaica…1 to 2 inches.
– The Florida Keys, much of the Florida peninsula, and southeast
– Georgia…8 to 15 inches, isolated 20 inches.
– Western and Northern Florida peninsula from Tampa northward…4 to 8
inches, isolated 12 inches.
– Rest of Eastern Georgia, western South Carolina, and Western North
Carolina…4 to 7 inches.
– Western Georgia, eastern and northern Alabama, and southern
Tennessee…2 to 5 inches.

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