September 11, 2017




Florida dealing with Hurricane Irma aftermath
Irma weakened to a tropical storm on Monday, as it continued to pummel northern Florida. The storm is expected to move into Georgia later today, where Atlanta has been put on a tropical storm warning for the first time ever. About 5.8 million people are without power in the state and it could take up to a week for it to be restored. Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys early Monday morning then pushed up the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center said water levels in Naples rose 7ft in just 90 minutes with substantial flooding. Five deaths reported in Florida so far but officials admit they do not have a definitive number of fatalities yet. The storm has toppled cranes, swallowed streets and ripped the roofs off homes. Nearly seven million people had been told to leave their homes in mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders. More than 200,000 people waited in shelters statewide as Irma headed up the coast. The storm has already claimed at least 25 lives across the Caribbean since it took hold earlier in the week. Pictured center: Flooding in Bonita Springs, Florida on Monday. Pictured top right and top left: Devastation in Fort Meade, Florida on Monday. Pictured bottom left: A partially-submerged boat in Miami on Monday. Pictured bottom right: The storm as it was located Monday morning in a satellite image.