Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
South Florida in cone as Hurricane Irma intensifies
Gov. Scott declares state of emergency
Hurricane Irma grew into a powerful Category 4 storm Monday as it approached the northeastern Caribbean and was forecast to begin slamming the region today.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph Monday night, and the National Hurricane Center said additional strengthening was expected.
South Florida was added to the five-day forecast cone and experts said tropical storm
force winds could begin as early as Friday evening.
Most forecast models currently have the entire state of Florida feeling the impact of the hurricane.
Shortly after the 5 p.m. advisory update, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency throughout Florida in response to the storm.
“Hurricane Irma is a major and life-threatening storm and Florida must be prepared,” Scott said. “In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared.”
Scott urged all Floridians to do what they can to prepare for the storm.
Hurricane warnings are now in effect for a long list of islands, including Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts, St. Martin and Nevis.
Emergency officials are warning that Irma could dump up to 10 inches of rain, unleash landslides and dangerous flash floods and generate waves of up to 23 feet as the storm draws closer.
Forecasters said the Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles an hour, was about 1,735 miles from South Florida, as of 8 p.m. Monday.
The storm was moving westward at 13 miles an hour and expected to make a west-northwestward turn today. Tropical stormforce winds could arrive in the eastern Caribbean late today and in the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by early Wednesday.
The Bahamas and Cuba could see Irma arrive as a dangerous major hurricane later this week, the hurricane center said.