Hurricane Irma Path, Track Latest News Update 2017: Storm Hits Tampa, Florida

By Denise See, Christian Post Contributor Monday, September 11, 2017

Hurricane Irma is now in Tampa, Florida.

The storm went through the Florida Keys and landed in Tampa on Sunday night. It was initially expected to arrive early Monday. Irma was billed as a Category 2 hurricane, but as of the 11 a.m. EDT public advisory from the National Hurricane Center, it has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. Despite this, residents should still be prepared for wind gusts of approximately 65 miles per hour. 

Due to the rotation of the hurricane, the National Weather Service in Tampa predicts more flooding to take place, reports the New York Times. Apart from the flooding, the city has also experienced power outages.

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"People don't realize it's going to come into your house, it's going to fill up maybe your entire first floor, and then it's going to flow out," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said on "Face the Nation" (via CBS News). "So I don't know how you're going to survive that. So you just have to think about, you know, you've got to get as high ground as you can and, and, and just pray."

"They've committed all the federal resources," Scott continued, explaining that a "big cleanup" is anticipated. "So we're ready. You know, I worked hard, and I know a lot of people worked hard to get people to evacuate."

Hurricane Irma hit Marco Island late Sunday afternoon. At the time, it was reported that it was a Category 3 storm. Prior to that, it swept through the Caribbean and claimed the lives of 27 people. It also arrived in Cuba on Friday night. According to the National Weather Service, Irma's winds registered at 142 miles per hour in Naples and 130 miles per hour in Marco Island. 

Ahead of the hurricane's arrival, millions of Florida residents were told to evacuate and a great number of them remain in shelters. Apart from the Sunshine State, states of emergency were also declared in Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Hurricane Irma is only the latest storm to hit the United States. In late August to early September this year, Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas. 

Stay tuned for the latest news and updates.