A state of emergency has been declared in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida as Hurricane Irma heads for the region as a Category 5 storm that is expected to strengthen further before making landfall in the Caribbean later Tuesday.

The storm was upgraded to Category 5 from Category 4 in a National Hurricane Center advisory, putting it at the highest level of the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Irma now has maximum sustained winds of 185 miles an hour, making it an extremely dangerous and potentially catastrophic storm, the NHC warned. It’s the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic basin outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in NHC records, it said.

AccuWeather said the storm ties as second strongest in the entire Atlantic basin, with only Hurricane Allen, which struck in 1980, showing stronger winds of 190 miles an hour.

“Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Irma is forecast to remain a powerful Category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days,” said the NHC advisory.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra, according to the advisory.

Computer models show the system eventually heading near the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba on Friday into Saturday, and possibly turning north toward Florida by the weekend.

“The chance of direct impacts from Irma later this week and this weekend is increasing in the Florida Keys and portions of the Florida Peninsula,” said the NHC. “However, it is too soon to specify the timing and magnitude of the impacts.”

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“Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area by tonight, with tropical storm conditions beginning later today,” said the advisory.

Irma is expected to dump 8 to 12 inches of rain with up to 18 inches in some areas of the northern Leeward Islands. It is now expected to pour 4 to 10 inches across northeast Puerto Rico, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

In addition, the center is tracking Tropical Storm Jose forming in the open Atlantic behind Irma. Jose is the 10th named storm of the season.

Schools were closed across the region and flights were canceled, according to the Associated Press. People were stocking up on last-minute supplies and boarding up homes ahead of the storm, said the AP. There were 907 flights cancelled in the U.S. on Tuesday, with another 4,478 flights delayed, according to tracker FlightAware.

“In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared,” he said in a statement.

Irma comes just days after hurricane Harvey battered Texas and Louisiana, causing damages that are estimated by AccuWeather to be up to $190 billion, which if realized, would make it the costliest-ever U.S. natural disaster.

With flood water now subsiding, many residents of Houston, which took the brunt of Harvey’s rain and wind, are leaving shelters and heading home to face a variety of obstacles, including toxic pollutants in the air and water, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The authorities have lifted an evacuation order at the site of the Arkema Inc. chemical plant that was hit by explosions last week as unstable chemicals ignited after power failure shut down refrigeration systems. </s> MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Hurricane Irma is now a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 mph.

At 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 31, the center of Hurricane Irma was located 720 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands and 1780 miles east of the Leeward Islands.

Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph. Forecasters believe this general motion will continue through early Friday. The storm is expected to travel more westerly on Saturday and a west-southwestward turn by Sunday.

Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane for several days. It’s expected to be a category 4 hurricane east of the Leeward Islands next week.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles, according to the current advisory.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. The scale estimates potential property damage. Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage.

Keep checking counton2.com for real-time updates on this story. To get breaking news alerts, download the free News 2 App for iPhone or Android. You can also sign up for email alerts. </s> Hurricane Irma Holds Steady at Category 3 Strength; Caribbean Urged to Be Prepared Just in Case

FLORIDA, United States, Friday September 1, 2017 – Hurricane Irma reached Category 3 strength late yesterday and continues to maintain maximum sustained winds near 110 miles per hour.

And while disaster officials in the Leeward Islands say it’s still not posing a threat at this time, they’re keeping a close eye on it.

At 5 a.m., Hurricane Irma, carrying maximum sustained winds near 115 miles per hour, was about 1,665 miles east of the Leeward Islands and moving towards the west northwest at 12 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami said a turn toward the west is expected by tonight, followed by a turn toward the west-southwest tomorrow.

By 11 a.m., Irma was about 1,580 miles east of the Leeward Islands after barely picking up speed, moving at 13 miles per hour. It was moving in the same direction and maximum sustained winds had reduced slightly to 110 miles per hour.

“Fluctuations in strength, up or down, are possible during the next few days, but Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane throughout the weekend,” the NHC said in both advisories.

Residents of the Caribbean, particularly the Leeward Islands, have been advised to keep a close eye on Irma although there are uncertainties about where it will head.

Acting director at the Barbados Meteorological Services Sonia Nurse told the Nation newspaper that the hurricane was still a long while away and although the models were diverging, they did not bring the centre anywhere over the island.

“It would still be to our north east so we will continue to monitor the system. By tomorrow we will have a better idea of where the system is likely to go, but even then it would still be a long way from us,” she said.

Over in Antigua and Barbuda, director of the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) Philmore Mullin said residents should take every precaution as though the island will be impacted.

Irma will reach the area sometime early to mid next week. </s> SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Irma has strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it approaches the northeast Caribbean.

The storm’s center is 490 miles east of the Leeward Islands late Monday afternoon. It has maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour and is moving west at 13 mph.

Emergency officials are warning that Irma could dump up to 10 inches of rain, unleash landslides and dangerous flash floods and generate waves of up to 23 feet as the storm draws closer.

A hurricane warning has been issued for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and St. Barts. A hurricane watch is in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the British and U.S. Virgin islands and Guadeloupe.

U.S. residents were urged to monitor the storm’s progress in case it turns northward toward Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas.

“This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the East Coast. It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of Harvey,” Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather, said in a statement.

In the Caribbean, Antigua and Anguilla shuttered schools on Monday, and government office closures were expected to follow.

On the tiny island of Barbuda, hotel manager Andrea Christian closed down the Palm Tree Guest House as Irma approached. She said she was not afraid even though it would be her first time facing a storm of that magnitude.

“We can’t do anything about it,” Christian said by phone, adding that she had stocked up on food and water. “We just have to wait it out.”

“It’s no secret that the infrastructure of the Puerto Rico Power Authority is deteriorated,” Rossello said. He activated the National Guard, canceled classes for Tuesday and declared a half-day of work.

Meteorologist Roberto Garcia warned that Puerto Rico could experience hurricane-like conditions in the next 48 hours.

“Any deviation, which is still possible, could bring even more severe conditions to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Garcia said.

The U.S. Virgin Islands said schools would reopen on Friday instead of Tuesday.

In the Dominican Republic, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo said workers there were also clearing away roadworks and cleaning out sewer drains and that President Danilo Medina would meet with emergency agencies. </s> By Faith Eherts, Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com

 AccuWeather Global Headquarters – September 1, 2017 – AccuWeather reports while the Gulf Coast continues to deal with the devastating impacts of Harvey, emergency managers in the United States have another tropical threat to monitor by the name of Irma.

Far across the Atlantic, west of the Cabo Verde Islands, Irma strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane Thursday afternoon. Irma became a tropical storm at midday on Wednesday.

“There is the potential for Irma to ramp up to an even more powerful hurricane this weekend,” according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

“While fluctuation in strength is likely, we expect Irma to become a Category 4 well before it reaches waters near the Lesser Antilles,” Kottlowski said.

Subtle changes in water temperatures and atmospheric conditions, such as slightly drier air and a small patch of strong winds aloft, can cause significant fluctuations in strength in even the strongest of hurricanes.

As of Friday midday, Irma was located about 1,580 miles (2,540 km) east of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (177 km/h).

Irma will take about a week to make its trek westward across the Atlantic Ocean. Meteorologists will likely be tracking this storm through the middle of September.

“All interests in the eastern Caribbean will need to monitor the progress of this evolving and dangerous hurricane,” Kottlowski said.

“Surf will begin to build on the east-facing beaches in the Leeward and Windward islands late this weekend into early next week, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

How much seas, surf and winds increase during the first part of next week will depend on the exact track of Irma.

“Steering winds will guide Irma close to the Leeward Islands and then perhaps Puerto Rico and Hispaniola during the middle days of next week,” according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson.

“While the hurricane is strong, it is relatively small in size at this time,” Sosnowski said. “Should this small size continue, severe effects from the storm may be limited to a radius 50 miles (80 km) of the center, while the storm moves through the tropics.”

Locally heavy showers and gusty thunderstorms may extend beyond 100 miles (160 km) from the eye. Torrential rain and flooding will be a concern, if and where the eye wall approaches the islands.

Beyond early next week, there is a wide range as to where Irma may go and the storm may grow in size.

Plenty of atmospheric factors highlighted by non-tropical systems will come into play to determine its path. These non-tropical systems will be moving around.

“At this early stage, it is unclear whether a non-tropical storm will draw Irma toward the U.S., push it away or miss affecting it entirely prior to the middle of the month.,” Kottlowski said.

Possibilities range from a landfall from the northern Caribbean islands to Florida, the Carolinas or Bermuda. There is also a chance the system curves northward and avoids North America entirely or slides into the Gulf of Mexico.

“At some point next week, Irma will begin to take a more west-northwest path,” Kottlowski said. “Whether Irma then continues to curve northwestward and then northward or remains on a steady west-northwest path is uncertain.

More details on the path of Irma will follow in the coming days.

Residents who live along the East Coast or have interests in the Caribbean Sea should take time to review emergency procedures and make sure they are prepared for extreme tropical conditions.

Cruise and shipping interests may need to adjust their route as Irma approaches. </s> SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Workers in the northeast Caribbean cleared drains and pruned trees as authorities urged islanders to prepare for Hurricane Irma, a Category 3 storm that grew stronger Monday and was forecast to begin buffeting the region the following day.

Emergency officials warned that Irma could dump up to 10 inches (25 centimetres) of rain, unleash landslides and dangerous flash floods and generate waves of up to 23 feet (7 metres) as the storm draws closer.

A hurricane warning was issued for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and St. Barts.

“We’re looking at Irma as a very significant event,” Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, said by phone. “I can’t recall a tropical cone developing that rapidly into a major hurricane prior to arriving in the central Caribbean.”

Irma is expected to strengthen in the next couple of days, and its centre is forecast to move near or over the northern Leeward Islands on Tuesday night and early Wednesday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane watch was in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the British and U.S. Virgin islands and Guadeloupe. A tropical storm watch was issued for Dominica.

U.S. residents were urged to monitor the storm’s progress in case it turns northward toward Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas.

“This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the East Coast. It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of Harvey,” Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather, said in a statement.

In the Caribbean, Antigua and Anguilla shuttered schools on Monday, and government office closures were expected to follow.

On the tiny island of Barbuda, hotel manager Andrea Christian closed down the Palm Tree Guest House as Irma approached. She said she was not afraid even though it would be her first time facing a storm of that magnitude.

“We can’t do anything about it,” Christian said by phone, adding that she had stocked up on food and water. “We just have to wait it out.”

The U.S. hurricane centre said Irma had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph) Monday afternoon. The storm was centred about 530 miles (850 kilometres) east of the Leeward Islands and was moving west-southwest at 14 mph (22 kph).

Both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands expect to receive 4 inches to 8 inches (10-20 centimetres) of rain and winds of 40-50 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph.

“It’s no secret that the infrastructure of the Puerto Rico Power Authority is deteriorated,” Rossello said. He activated the National Guard, cancelled classes for Tuesday and declared a half-day of work.

Meteorologist Roberto Garcia warned that Puerto Rico could experience hurricane-like conditions in the next 48 hours.

“Any deviation, which is still possible, could bring even more severe conditions to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Garcia said.

The U.S. Virgin Islands said schools would reopen on Friday instead of Tuesday.

In the Dominican Republic, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo said workers there were also clearing away roadworks and cleaning out sewer drains and that President Danilo Medina would meet with emergency agencies.

Associated Press writer Ezequiel Abiu Lopez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, contributed to this report. </s> Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm, is now among the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean, The Guardian reported on Wednesday. Some reports had said that the hurricane is so strong that it is showing up on devices used to measure earthquakes.

The Caribbean island Barbuda, which has a population of about 2,000, is expected to be the first to be hit by Irma. The US National Hurricane Center said Irma is “potentially catastrophic” and has urged that preparations to protect life and property should be sped up. Irma is expected to “bring life-threatening wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards” to portions of the northern Leeward Islands, including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

The storm is then forecast to travel through Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos by Friday. The Bahamas, Cuba and Florida are also likely to be affected. However, it is too soon to specify timing and magnitude of these impacts, the agency said.

At 11 pm Atlantic Standard Time on Tuesday, Irma was about 80 km from the Leeward Islands. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 295 kmph and was heading west northwest at 20 kmph.

Other storms in the region that were this strong, reaching speeds of 295 kmph or more, include Allen in 1980, Wilma in 2005, Gilbert in 1988 and a Florida Key storm in 1935.

Florida and Puerto Rico had declared an emergency on Monday, when Irma was still a category 4 storm. </s> Hurricane Irma's intensity continues to fluctuate and is back to Category 3 strength. Interests in the Leeward Islands should monitor the progress of Irma, according to the National Hurricane Center.

At 11 a.m. Hurricane Irma is moving toward the west-southwest near 14 mph and this course at a slightly slower forward speed is expected through tonight, the National Hurricane Center reports. A turn toward the west is forecast on Monday.

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Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, the National Hurricane Center reports.

Hurricane-force winds will extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds will extend outward up to 80 miles.

There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect. </s> Hurricane Irma roared into the Caribbean with record force early Wednesday, its 185-mph winds shaking homes and flooding buildings on a chain of small islands along a path toward Puerto Rico, Cuba and Hispaniola and a possible direct hit on densely populated South Florida.

The strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded passed almost directly over the island of Barbuda, causing widespread flooding and downing trees. France sent emergency food and water rations to the French islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity.

The regional authority for Guadeloupe and neighbouring islands said the fire station in Saint Barthelemy was flooded by more than 3 feet (1 metre) of water and no rescue vehicles could move. The government headquarters on Saint Martin was partially destroyed.

There were no immediate reports of casualties but the minister for French overseas territories, Annick Girardin, said "We have a lot to fear for a certain number of our compatriots who unfortunately didn't want to listen to the protection measures and go to more secure sites ... We're preparing for the worst."

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the twin-island nation appears to have weathered its brush with Hurricane Irma with no deaths, though he noted that the government had only done a preliminary assessment of Barbuda. There were widespread reports of property damage but he says the public and government had prepared well for the storm.

"We in Antigua have weathered the most powerful hurricane ever to storm its way through the Caribbean," the prime minister said. "And we have done so with stunning results."

Hurricane Irma had maximum winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) as of 11 a.m. Wednesday and was producing dangerous storm surge and heavy rain. The centre of the storm was about 65 miles (110 kilometres) east-southeast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and about 140 miles (225 kilometres) east of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was heading west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

As the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over Barbuda around 2 a.m., phone lines went down under heavy rain and howling winds that sent debris flying as people huddled in their homes or government shelters.

The storm ripped the roof off the island's police station, forcing officers to seek refuge in the fire station and at the community centre that served as an official shelter. The Category 5 storm also knocked out communication between islands.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma's winds would fluctuate but the storm would likely remain at Category 4 or 5 strength for the next day or two. The most dangerous winds, usually nearest to the eye, were forecast to pass near the northern Virgin Islands and near or just north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate six southern islands.

Warm water is fuel for hurricanes and Irma was moving over water that was 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) warmer than normal. The 79 degree (26 Celsius) water that hurricanes need went about 250 feet (80 metres) deep, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private forecasting service Weather Underground.

Four other storms have had winds as strong in the overall Atlantic region, but they were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which usually have warmer waters. Hurricane Allen hit 190 mph in 1980, while 2005's Wilma, 1988's Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Keys storm all had 185 mph winds.

The northern Leeward Islands were expected to see normal tide levels rise by as much as 11 feet (3.3 metres), while the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas could see surge of 20 feet (6 metres) and higher waves later in the week, forecasters said.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating six islands in the south because authorities would not be able to help anyone caught in the "potentially catastrophic" wind, flooding and storm surge. People there would be flown to Nassau in what he called the largest storm evacuation in the country's history.

"The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life or serious physical harm," Minnis said.

The U.S. National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irma's magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.

"The dangerousness of this event is like nothing we've ever seen," Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said. "A lot of infrastructure won't be able to withstand this kind of force."

The eye of the storm was expected to rip westward on a path taking it a little north of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba.

The northern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti could see 10 inches (25 centimetres) of rain, with as much as 20 inches (50 centimetres) in the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

The storm seemed almost certain to hit the United States by early next week.

"You'd be hard pressed to find any model that doesn't have some impact on Florida." said University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.

In Florida, people stocked up on drinking water and other supplies.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott activated 100 members of the Florida National Guard to be deployed across the state, and 7,000 National Guard members were to report for duty Friday when the storm could be approaching the area. On Monday, Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Florida's 67 counties.

Officials in the Florida Keys geared up to get tourists and residents out of Irma's path, and the mayor of Miami-Dade County said people should be prepared to evacuate Miami Beach and most coastal areas.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the voluntary evacuations could begin as soon as Wednesday evening. He activated the emergency operation centre and urged residents to have three days' worth of food and water.

The Hurricane Center in Miami said hurricane-force winds extended 50 miles (85 kilometres) from Irma's centre and tropical storm-force winds extended 175 miles (280 kilometres).

Also Wednesday morning, a new tropical storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico's coast. Tropical Storm Katia had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) with some strengthening forecast over the next two days. But the hurricane centre said Katia was expected to stay offshore through Friday morning.

And another tropical storm farther east in the Atlantic was expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday night. Tropical Storm Jose's maximum sustained winds had increased to near 60 mph (95 kph). The storm was centred about 1,255 miles (2,020 kilometres) east of the Lesser Antilles and was moving west near 13 mph (20 kph).

Associated Press writers contributing to this report included Danica Coto in Puerto Rico; Seth Borenstein in Washington; Michael Weissenstein in Havana, Cuba; Ben Fox in Miami contributed to this report
Hurricane Irma is now a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h). Hurricane warnings are issued for the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, which are expected to be affected Tuesday. Rainfalls of up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) are possible. Irma is forecast to strengthen over the next 48 hours. The governors of Puerto Rico and Florida issue states of emergency.