Hurricane Irma will be devastating

International Desk: Hurricane Irma will "devastate" either Florida or neighbouring states, the head of the US federal emergency agency has said.

Brock Long said parts of Florida would be without power for days. Half a million people in the state have been ordered to leave their homes.

Hurricane Irma has left a trail of destruction in the Caribbean, affecting an estimated 1.2m people.

At least 20 people are known to have died so far.

It has been downgraded to a category four storm, but officials warn that it remains "extremely dangerous".

The US National Weather Service says that Irma was expected to bring wind speeds of around 165mph (270km/h) over the weekend as it hits Florida.

"Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States in either Florida or some of the south-eastern states," Mr Long said.

"The entire south-eastern United States better wake up and pay attention," he added.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said all Floridians should be prepared for possible evacuation, and issued a stark warning to those in threatened areas.

"We are running out of time. If you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now," he told reporters.

"Remember, we can rebuild your home, we can't rebuild your life."

The death toll continued to rise on Friday in the Caribbean.

Source: Agencies



risingbd/Sept 9, 2017/Mukul