Three million people without power
Three dead in Florida car crashes; 25 dead in Caribbean
Deadly Hurricane Irma heads towards Tampa’s retirement homes
Incredible footage of storm chaser battling 130mph
Hurricane Irma: death toll, devastation and predicted path – everything we know
Hurricane Irma gave Florida a coast-to-coast pummelling with winds up to 130 mph on Sunday, swamping homes and boats, knocking out power to millions and toppling massive construction cranes over the Miami skyline.
The 400-mile-wide storm blew ashore in the mostly cleared-out Florida Keys, then marched up its western coast, its punishing winds extending clear across to Miami and West Palm Beach on the Atlantic side.
Irma was nearing the heavily populated Tampa-St. Petersburg area late on Sunday, though in a much-weakened state. While it arrived in Florida a Category 4 hurricane, by nightfall it was down to a Category 2 with winds of 100 mph (160 kph). Meanwhile, more than 160,000 people waited in shelters statewide as Irma headed up the coast.
Mr Trump addressed reporters on Sunday after returning to the White House from Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland where he spent the weekend monitoring the storm.
Irma will cost “a lot of money,” he said, but he isn’t thinking about that right now.
“Right now, we’re worried about lives, not cost,” he said,
Roads in the downtown area were turned into rivers as water raced between office buildings and blocks of flats, while street signs swung crazily.
More than 3 million homes and businesses across the state lost power, and utility officials said it will take weeks to restore electricity to everyone.
Two construction cranes collapsed in the high winds. No injuries were reported. One of them was left dangling perilously over a partially constructed high rise building.
Miami’s deputy fire chief Joseph Zahralban said people in nearby structures should move somewhere safe but there was nothing else emergency services could do to help.Full Story Source The Telegraph UK