Hurricane Irma Begins to Hit Florida Keys

Hurricane Irma has started to hit the Florida Keys in the form of high winds and rains.

Videos have began to surface from reporters and meteorologists on the scene, and the National Weather Service has issued several warnings for the area.

“The storm is here. Hurricane Irma is now impacting our state,” Florida Governor Rick Scott said. “If you’ve been ordered to evacuate, you need to leave now … not tonight, not in an hour, you need to go right now.”

Storm chasers such as Reed Timmer have been delivering footage from Key West as Irma approaches, and it’s not pretty.

Scroll through to see the images coming out of the Florida Keys and read Scott’s further pleas to residents.

High Winds Begin

As shown in the videos below, high winds are currently striking the Florida Keys, causing tree damage and intense gusts.

Footage shows Key West looking virtually deserted on the streets, but there are still some residents in their homes. 

According to USA Today, their reporters alone had talked to dozens planning to ride out the storm earlier in the week.

On Friday night, Scott hammered on warnings to the residents who have decided to stay on the islands. There’s a three-hour drive to the mainland from Key West, so there’s no time to waste. 

Scott’s Last Plea

“I’ve got one last plea to everybody in the Florida Keys,” Scott told The Weather Channel. “Just think about it. You’re going to have 155 mph winds. You have a potential 9-plus feet of storm surge. It’s going to be very difficult to survive this.”

Scott continued to deliver the grim but realistic odds in hopes of saving these hoping to remain in their homes.

“I care about everybody in the Keys,” he said. “Your families care about you. I’m asking you to get out. You don’t have much time to go. There’s not going to be anybody that can save you. There might not even be anybody that can save you after the storm. We’ve already evacuated all the hospitals.”

Tornado Watch

A tornado watch has also been issued for the Keys and the entirety of South Florida. The watch is in place until 12 a.m. Monday.

Winds up to 70 mph and marble-sized hail are possible during the watch. In addition to Key West, the cities of Miami, Key Largo and Fort Myers are covered in the tornado watch.

Projected Time of Landfall

As of 1:50 p.m. EST on Saturday, the National Weather Service is projecting that Irma will strike the Florida Keys close to 8 a.m. EST Sunday.

It will then head up Florida’s west coast and hit Fort Myers around 8 p.m EST Sunday.

Irma’s path was updated on Saturday morning to be headed toward the West Coast of the state. Irma will continue up the coast and make contact with Tampa close to 2 a.m. EST Monday, according to ABC.

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