Irma's New Course Puts Many More in Danger

Hurricane Irma has changed it's course, but it's still bad news for Florida.ABC News reports that [...]

By John Connor Coulston

Hurricane Irma has changed it's course, but it's still bad news for Florida.

ABC News reports that the storm has shifted towards the Florida's West Coast. Initial projections had it headed for the eastern part of the state.

As of 8 a.m. EST, Irma was 225 miles from Miami and travelling at 12 mph. It is a category 4 storm with maximum winds of 130 mph.

"(It's a) very, very dangerous situation for western Florida," said ABC News meteorologist Daniel Manzo.

Cities including Fort Myers, Tampa, Naples, Sarasota and St. Petersburg are all in the path of this new projection, with the in-land and western areas of Florida still at risk.

The island city of Key West is still slated to be hit the hardest and winds are already picking up in South Florida.

Miami International Airport reported a 59 mph gust early Saturday, with users on social media documenting already documenting damage to trees from the storm's wind.

Update 11:45 a.m. EST:

Hurricane Irma has been downgraded to a category 3 storm.

See the National Weather Service most recent projection for the storm below.

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