Hurricane Irma became tied for the seventh strongest storm to make landfall in U.S. history by a key measurement of atmospheric pressure. Hurricane Irma made landfall at Cudjoe Key at 9:10 a.m. with a minimum central pressure of 929 millibars. Atmospheric pressure is one of the major measurements meteorologists use to describe storms. The lower the pressure, the stronger the storm.
Florida’s governor is issuing urgent warnings to a third of his state’s residents to evacuate ahead of a massive hurricane on track to be the state’s most catastrophic ever. Gov. Rick Scott says the entire west coast of Florida will likely see dangerous affects from storm surge as Hurricane Irma comes ashore Sunday. About 6.3 million of the state’s approximately 21 million residents have been asked to evacuate.
From Pinellas County Government: In light of Hurricane Irma’s heightened threat to lives and property of Pinellas County residents, the mandatory evacuation order is now extended to all residents and businesses in evacuation Level B, effective immediately. The order continues for residents of mobile homes countywide, regardless of evacuation zone, and includes residents previously ordered to evacuate from Level A. Residents in Level B must begin evacuating immediately and secure safe shelter promptly. Residents of Level A and all mobile homes must…
The plate of spaghetti models being served up by the National Hurricane Center does not look good for Tampa Bay. After spending the better part of this past week scaring the sh*t out of South Florida, the latest forecast has Hurricane Irma tacking more and more west.
A shifting Hurricane Irma has prompted a hurricane warning and storm surge warning northward along Florida’s west coast to Chassahowitzka. The warning now includes all of the Tampa Bay area, except Citrus County, which remains under a hurricane watch. Irma’s track has shifted westward.
Publisher’s Note — As Hurricane Irma looks more likely to track up the middle of the state, we’re publishing an abbreviated version of “Takeaways from Tallahassee” this week so staff and readers have more time to prepare for the storm. Be safe, everyone. — We all need some non-hurricane news, so how about a lawsuit over “improper towing” near the Florida State University campus? You’ll take it? Good. Leon County resident Charles Coshatt is mad as hell over being towed…
New Jersey is deploying troops and a specialized task force to Florida to help with Hurricane Irma. The state’s Army National Guard 253rd transportation company departs from Cape May County on Friday for central Florida. The unit is equipped with high-wheeled vehicles. A Naval reserve unit was deployed on Thursday evening, which is equipped with boats and towing vehicles.