The threat of the Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, activated all alerts on the chain of islands that include the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and throughout the Caribbean. It is already one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic with winds speed of 185 mph. The National Weather Service announced there is a high-possibility of floods could occur in Florida.

Though is expected not to reach Florida until Saturday or Sunday authorities have alerted residents in Evacuation Zones A and B to be prepared to leave their homes and businesses as early Wednesday or even Thursday.

The NWS has extended the flooding warning until Thursday morning and released an alert for DeSoto and Sarasota counties. Residents of Monroe County is expected to begin a mandatory evacuation tomorrow.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, said this morning:

This is a powerful storm which poses a serious threat to our area. We will be taking some extraordinary actions to assure that the residents of Miami-Dade County are safe.

Also, he published a map on his Twitter account @MayorGimenez on which the areas in danger of flooding are indicated

Written by Bassil
Edited by Cathy Milne

Sources:

Patch: Evacuations Likely In Flood-Prone Areas Of Miami
National Weather Service: Watches, Warnings or Advisories for Florida
The New York Times: Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 Hurricane, Heads for Puerto Rico
National Hurricane Center: Coastal Watches/Warnings and Forecast Cone for Storm Center

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Maf04’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License