Hurricane Irma Updates: Category 5 Hurricane Left Millions Without Electricity, 6 Casualties in Florida
Hurricane Irma has already degenerated into a tropical storm Monday after plowing through Florida over the weekend, but the residents are still affected by the damages that the Category 5 hurricane brought in the state.
The record breaking weather disturbance reportedly left several trailer homes wrecked and turned boats upside down. It also reportedly cut a lot of power lines that left over 12 million households or about 65 percent of the residents without power.
The Washington Post speculated that South Florida will be cloaked in darkness for days. It could also be extended for several weeks since utility companies may have a hard time navigating through most of the impassable roads that had been affected by the floods to restore the power as fast as they can.
Aside from the destruction in properties, reports also revealed that at least six people died in Florida due to Hurricane Irma. This brought the numbers to a total of 10 casualties in the U.S., including the states of Georgia and South Carolina.
Some of the casualties in Florida include the 51-year-old man named Brian Buwalda who was electrocuted due to a downed power line on Monday, a 50-year-old woman named Heidi Zehner who passed away after her sports-utility vehicle crashed into a guard rail near Orlando, as well as 53-year-old Joseph Ossman and 42-year-old Julie Bridges who passed away after their vehicles collided against each other.
State officials advised Florida Keys residents to return to their homes and businesses by 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12. But they are still implementing a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in several parts of the state, including the cities of Miami and North Miami, the Miami-Dade County, and the village of Key Biscayne, among others.
After its Florida rampage, Irma heads up north and cause havoc in Georgia and South Carolina on Monday, where at least 900,000 households are also left without electricity.
The National Hurricane Center reported that as of Monday, 11 p.m. EDT, Irma's maximum sustained wind has been decreased to 35 mph and moves to the northwest direction at 15 mph.
