FLORIDA/GEORGIA/ALABAMA
Irma continued north on Monday morning, ultimately sparing Tampa from devastation. Meanwhile, parts of the Florida Keys were leveled and Jacksonville suffered major flood damage. Roughly 5.8 million customers were without power in Florida as of Monday morning and the full extent of damage is still being assessed.
Mayor Charlie Lathan of Jacksonville Beach told CNN that about 90 percent of people in the city had lost power. In Tampa, Mayor Bob Buckhorn said on Monday that the city had been spared the storm’s worst. St. Petersburg reported mostly minor debris scattered in lawns and on roads. Most area businesses remained closed.
According to The New York Times, Gov. Rick Scott was heading to the Florida Keys on Monday “to survey the extent of the damage there and in other parts of South Florida.” The Florida Keys was hit in full force by Hurricane Irma and residents are being told to stay indoors. Miami residents were reportedly venturing out into the streets to check things out, but were also being instructed to stay indoors, due to lingering hazards.
Irma, now a tropical storm, was expected to stay inland over Florida as it heads into Georgia, before moving on to Alabama and Tennessee. Despite its weakened state, Irma is still dangerous and will likely continue to pose weather-related problems.
More information is available (and constantly being updated) via The New York Times’ live updates.
