Florida braces itself
HURRICANE Irma regained strength as it closed in on the Florida Keys islands late yesterday as forecasters monitored a crucial shift in its trajectory that could keep its ferocious eye off the southwest Florida coast and over warm gulf water.
The hurricane restrengthened to Category Four status with maximum sustained winds near 210km/h. The US National Hurricane Center said Irma was expected to gain a little more strength as it moved through the Straits of Florida and remain a powerful hurricane as it approaches Florida.
But Irma’s wrath could potentially spare Tampa and week, and meteorologists yesterday said it had potential to be one of America’s worst ever hurricanes.
“Key West is probably going to get its worst storm in modern history, and perhaps ever,” Weather Channel hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross said.
“The core of Hurricane Irma, potentially with winds gusting over 150 miles per hour (241km/h) or more, is going to come close. Buildings in southwest Florida are not, in general, built to withstand these winds.”
Earlier yesterday, Irma collapsed buildings and battered Cuba with deafening winds and relentless rain, while a second hurricane, Jose, threatened to lash alreadyreeling islands elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Across a swath of Cuba, utility poles were toppled, trees uprooted and roads blocked.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in Cuba in addition to the 22 dead left in Irma’s wake across the Caribbean, where the storm ravaged St Martin, St Barts, St Thomas, Barbuda and Anguilla. Looting was reported on St Martin and curfews imposed there and on St Barts, as French and Dutch authorities announced plans to send hundreds more troops and police to keep order.