Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency warns Florida residents not to wait to see what happens, even though computer models show different paths for Hurricane Irma. He urged everyone to take the evacuation orders seriously, no matter where they live.
“The entire state needs to be prepared. We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life. Take what you need, but only what you need.“
It’s not clear if and where Irma will hit Florida, but Scott warned that it could still have a major impact on the state from the storm surge alone.
Irma is one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded with winds of 185 mph. Gov. Scott said the approaching storm was “bigger, faster and stronger” than Andrew, which hit in 1992 as a Category 5.
1,000 National Guard troops will be on duty in Florida by tonight.
France’s Interior Minister Gérard Collomb says the four strongest buildings on Saint Martin have been destroyed and t’s possible that all other old buildings on the territory have been totally or partially destroyed.
See the video of its destruction hitting St. Martin below.
(Photo, YouTube; via CNN)