Hurricane Irma gives Florida a coast-to-coast pummeling

International Desk: Hurricane Irma is giving Florida a coast-to-coast pummeling with winds up to 210kph, swamping homes and boats, knocking out power to millions and toppling massive construction cranes.

The 640-kilometer-wide storm blew ashore Sunday morning in the mostly cleared-out Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane before eventually weakening to a Category 2 storm as it moved up the coast.

Forecasters said it could hit the heavily populated Tampa-St Petersburg area early on Monday.

"Pray, pray for everybody in Florida," Governor Rick Scott told US media on Sunday.

At least three people were reportedly killed in two separate vehicle accidents in Florida that took place as the stormed arrived. At least 25 people were killed during Irma's destructive trek across the Caribbean earlier this week.

A storm surge of over three metres was recorded in the Florida Keys, and forecasters warned some places on the mainland could get up to 4.5 metres of water.

"This is a life-threatening situation," Scott told a press conference.

Some 645km north of the Keys, people in the Tampa-St Petersburg area started bracing for the onslaught on Sunday night.The Tampa Bay area, with a population of about 3 million, has not taken a direct hit from a major hurricane since 1921.

While Irma raked the state's Gulf Coast, forecasters warned that the entire state - including the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people - was in danger because of the sheer size of the storm.

In Miami, a woman who went into labour, was guided through delivery by phone when authorities could not reach her in high winds and street flooding. Firefighters later took her to the hospital.

Two of the two dozen construction cranes looming over the city's skyline collapsed in the wind. No injuries were reported. City officials said it would have taken about two weeks to move the massive equipment.

Source: Agencies



risingbd/Sept 11, 2017/Mukul