Irma looking to bear down on NW Ga.

Just as one hurricane moved through Texas, another that was recorded as one of the biggest ever slammed into Caribbean islands and as of press time over the weekend was making landfall in the Florida keys.

Hurricane Irma’s path into the United States for a while had Polk County at the epicenter of the path of a tropical storm, and though Irma’s predicted path through the southeast has shifted further west, residents were still being cautioned to undertake efforts for the sake of safety.

The news had local residents preparing ahead of the storm’s arrival as gas prices went up in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey’s impact on the Houston area and shut down a large portion of the nation’s oil refineries. A number of people went to gas pumps around the county to fill up tanks in their vehicles and spares just in case the worst should happen.

According to a press release from the county late last week officials from the administration, multiple public safety agencies, the Polk County EMA, city officials and Public Works officials met on Friday morning, Sept. 8, to discuss preparations for a potential local impact by Hurricane Irma, looking at the latest storm path and tracking models from the National Weather Service and local impact based on various path scenarios, the level of preparedness, EMA Command and resource allocations.

Polk County Public Safety Director Randy Lacey stated that “we are ready to implement our Emergency Action Plan if needed. We are ready to respond to whichever storm scenario actually plays out.”

That readiness comment was echoed by all countywide public safety officials in the afternoon release.

Lacey further stated “in the event of a local emergency declared by Polk County officials, temporary shelters will be made available on the east and west sides of the County for residents displaced by the storm.”

The primary point of the meeting this morning was intergovernmental administrative, public safety and public works cooperation, coordination and preparedness.

At the conclusion of the meeting Polk County manager Matt Denton stated that “thanks for the cooperation of all entities, we are prepared to respond to whatever this storm brings.”

Emergency Management Officials are encouraging citizens to stay tuned to local weather stations and radio broadcasts for the latest information should the storm impact Polk County on Tuesday after press time, when it was predicted to be over the area by the weekend.

Hurricane Irma began its assault on Florida early Sunday with the storm’s northern eyewall reaching the lower Florida Keys as a powerful Category 4 storm.

Irma lashed the area with maximum sustained winds near 130 mph (215 kph) and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was expected to remain a powerful storm as it moved through the Florida Keys and near the state’s west coast.

Tens of thousands of people huddled in shelters and watched for updates as the hurricane passed and went northward.

The leading edge of the immense storm bent palm trees and spit rain across South Florida, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, as the eye approached Key West.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott had warned residents in the state’s evacuation zones Saturday that “this is your last chance to make a good decision.” About 6.4 million people were told to flee.

But because the storm is 350 to 400 miles wide, the entire Florida peninsula was exposed.

Forecasters said the greater Miami area of 6 million people could still get life-threatening hurricane winds and storm surge of 4 to 6 feet.

Irma was at one time the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the open Atlantic with a peak wind speed of 185 mph (300 kph) last week. It left more than 20 people dead across the Caribbean and as it moved north over the Gulf of Mexico’s bathtub-warm water of nearly 90 degrees, it was expected to regain strength.

Meteorologists predicted Irma would plow into the Tampa Bay area Monday morning.

The area has not been struck by a major hurricane since 1921, when its population was about 10,000, National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said. Now around 3 million people live there.

The latest course also still threatens Naples’ mansion- and yacht-lined canals, Sun City Center’s retirement homes, and Sanibel Island’s shell-filled beaches.

Irma’s course change caught many off guard and triggered a major round of last-minute evacuations in the Tampa area. Many businesses had yet to protect windows with plywood or hurricane shutters. Some locals grumbled about the forecast, even though Florida’s west coast had long been included in the zone of probability.

“For five days, we were told it was going to be on the east coast, and then 24 hours before it hits, we’re now told it’s coming up the west coast,” said Jeff Beerbohm, a 52-year-old entrepreneur in St. Petersburg. “As usual, the weatherman, I don’t know why they’re paid.”

Nearly the entire Florida coastline remained under hurricane watches and warnings, and the latest projections could shift again, aiming the worst of the storm at other parts of the state.

Forecasters warned of storm surge as high as 15 feet (4.5 meters).

“This is going to sneak up on people,” said Jamie Rhome, head of the hurricane center’s storm surge unit.

The westward shift prompted Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, to order 260,000 people to leave, while Georgia scaled back evacuation orders for some coastal residents.

Motorists heading inland from the Tampa area were allowed to drive on the shoulders.

At Germain Arena not far from Fort Myers, on Florida’s southwestern corner, thousands waited in a snaking line for hours to gain a spot in the hockey venue-turned-shelter.

“We’ll never get in,” Jamilla Bartley lamented in the parking lot.

The governor activated all 7,000 members of the Florida National Guard, and 30,000 guardsmen from elsewhere were on standby.

In the Orlando area, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World all were closing Saturday. The Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando airports shut down.

Given its mammoth size and strength and its course up the peninsula, it could prove one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to hit Florida, and inflict damage on a scale not seen here in 25 years.

Hurricane Andrew smashed into suburban Miami in 1992 with winds topping 165 mph (265 kph), damaging or blowing apart over 125,000 homes. The damage in Florida totaled $26 billion, and at least 40 people died.

Locally, the efforts to help people already impacted by hurricane season continues.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was one organization who extended collection efforts last week in order to get supplies for both Hurricane Harvey victims and those who suffered the ill effects of Hurricane Irma.

Those interested in making a donation of supplies can contact the Sheriff’s Office at 770-749-2900 for more information.

Hurricane Irma’s potential impact already provided a reason for the Polk County Fair to push back opening night to this evening, since it was forecasted the storm was set to be over the area right around the time the fair was set to launch on Tuesday.