As Texas is coming to terms with the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey which hit just over a week ago, Florida is now preparing itself for the possibility of Hurricane Irma making landfall this weekend. Coast Guard helicopters are moving from Texas to Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico to prepare for the next event should it happen.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has classed Irma as a powerful category 4 storm with winds of up to 140mph (220km/h) and likely to strengthen in the next 48 hours. The NHC has projected Irma to hit the Leeward Islands by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, causing storm surges, life-threatening winds and torrential rain. Weather models have projected that the storm could make landfall on the US coast by Saturday or Sunday, and because of this Florida has declared a state of emergency and residents are being urged to prepare for the worst.
In an interview with CNN, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott said, “This state of emergency allows our emergency management officials to act swiftly in the best interest of Floridians without the burden of bureaucracy or red tape.” On Twitter, Scott announced that Donald Trump had offered the “full resources of the federal government” should they be needed.
Emergency officials have warned the storm could dump up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain, causing major landslides, flooding and even waves of up to 23ft (7m). Ronald Jackson of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency said, “I can’t recall a tropical cone developing that rapidly into a major hurricane prior to arriving in the central Caribbean.”
If Irma makes landfall at it’s current strength, or stronger, it will be the second powerful hurricane to hit the US and its territories in the space of 2 weeks. Texas and Louisiana received several feet of rain which has destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and caused destruction that will take years to recover from.
Louise Carter
