Here Is Everything You Need to Know About Hurricane Irma

After the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in Texas last week, Hurricane Irma has the potential to cause even more destruction to the United States and the northeastern Caribbean islands this week.

The Category 5 storm is swirling to threaten areas including Antigua, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center, then it could charge toward the US to hit Florida.

On Tuesday morning, Irma was brewing in the Atlantic with a sustained windspeed of 180 mph, shattering the 157 mph requirement for a Category 5 storm. Currently, the storm is about 225 miles east of Antigua and Barbuda and is headed west.

By late Tuesday or early Wednesday, the forecast puts the storm over these areas, and the storm tracker shows the British and US Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico, being hit on Wednesday afternoon.

As Hurricane Irma makes its way across mainlands, keep reading to learn everything we know about the dangerous storm.

Storm statistics:

With 180 mph sustained winds and 220 mph gusts near the eye wall, the storm is the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the Atlantic in a decade. It’s also the strongest hurricane ever recorded outside the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is also already exceeding the power of Katrina, Andrew and Camille as their winds peaked at 175 mph.

The hurricane center describes of the damage that can occur from Category 5 winds: “A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.”

While only those in the eye wall will experience the fiercest of the storm, those in the hurricane’s path may experience winds up to 140 or 150 mph, says CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

At this time, the hurricane’s direct path is uncertain as models show it shifting westward as time passes. Still, they will continue closely tracking the storm’s eyewall to determine the areas that will be most effected by the storm’s most severe weather. The northeastern Caribbean islands are beginning to be hit by Irma, and the possibility of the storm rolling through Florida by the weekend becomes greater as the storm moves.

Hurricane warnings:

The National Hurricane Center said preparations to protect life and property in the northeastern Caribbean islands “should be rushed to completion” during a Tuesday afternoon advisory.

“We could see storm surges of 7 to 11 feet — that’s certainly life-threatening —and very, very heavy flooding rainfall” in the far northeastern islands, plus sustained winds that could cause catastrophic damage near the eye of the storm, said the hurricane center’s Michael Brennan, CNN reports.

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands are under hurricane warnings as of Tuesday afternoon, in addition to Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Martin/St. Maarten and St. Barts. Those areas are expected to experience hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph.

Threat to Florida:

The Washington Post reports that computer models are in agreement that the Florida Keys will see Irma by Saturday, and that dangerous conditions are likely. By Sunday morning, the models show a sharp northward shift that could have devastating effects for the state of Florida.

While it isn’t clear where the hurricane’s path will lead, the storm is so wide and powerful that it could cause mass destruction throughout the islands and eastern United States with dangerous weather occurring up to 200 miles away from the eyeball.

“The hurricane force winds in Irma are wider than Florida,” tweeted Bryan Norcross, hurricane specialist at the Weather Channel. “You won’t need a direct hit to get Wilma-type winds & storm surge on both coasts.”

After likely hitting southern Florida this weekend, it’s difficult to determine the direction Irma will take. Still, the Weather Channel suggests that Georgia and the Carolinas be prepared for flash floods and harsh winds next week.

In preparation for the weekend’s hit, a mandatory evacuation of visitors and residents of the Florida Keys will go into effect on Wednesday, September 6, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Florida residents have already been clearing out grocery store shelves of water and food in preparation of the event.

Gov. Rick Scott said President Donald Trump had “offered the full resources of the federal government as Floridians prepare for Hurricane Irma.”

Scott activated 100 National Guard troops Tuesday to begin helping with preparations for the storm, and 7,000 have been ordered to report for duty by Friday morning.

“Hurricane Irma is a major and life-threatening storm and Florida must be prepared,” Scott said in a statement on Monday. “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.”

If Irma makes landfall as a Category 4 or higher in the United States, joining Hurricane Harvey, it will become the first time two storms so strong struck the United States in the same season.

Hurricane Jose:

While Hurricane Irma poses the immediate threat, Tropical Storm Jose formed in the eastern Atlantic on Tuesday morning.

In the coming days, this storm is predicted to brew into a hurricane by Friday, but the most recent forecasts track the storm mostly away from land areas.

Photo credit: CNN Weather