Here’s How Hurricane Irma Compares to the Size of Florida

Hurricane Irma is already the most powerful hurricane ever formed in the Atlantic, but its devastating strength is matched by its massive size.

The storm crippled Caribbean islands as a Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds on Wednesday, and the now Category 4 storm is forecast to reach the Florida Keys by Saturday and Miami by Sunday morning.

To show the staggering size of the hurricane, USA Today released an illustration which places a satellite image of Irma over an illustration of the state of Florida.

As of 4 p.m. EST Thursday, the hurricane was twice as wide as the Florida peninsula, USA Today reports.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott echoed this chilling statistic in a press interview Friday: “This storm is wider than our entire state. It is expected to cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast.”

Current projections had Irma sitting at around 450 miles southeast of Miami as of 8 a.m. EST on Friday, and mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for barrier islands, coastal communities, low-lying areas and mobile homes across Florida.

Rainfall is forecast to reach 8-12 inches, with some isolated areas receiving up to 20 inches of rain, Scott warned. “Today is the day to do the right thing for your family and get inland for safety,” he encouraged residents of coastal Florida.

In the most current track forecast of the hurricane, Irma is poised to charge up the middle of Florida and turn inland over the weekend. This shift lessens the previous threat to the Carolinas, but increases the risk of severe storms in Georgia and Alabama.

As Irma rolls toward the southeastern United States, the hurricane has already claimed the lives of at least 13 people.