Florida Gov. Rick Scott today signed an order stating a state of emergency in the state’s 67 counties in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which rose to Category 4 as it continues to move across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.
In issuing Executive Order 17-235, Governor Scott is making sure that local governments have the time, resources and flexibility to prepare for this dangerous storm and are not prevented or delayed from taking the necessary actions to keep communities safe, indicates a statement from the governorate.
“Hurricane Irma is a major and potentially deadly storm and Florida must be prepared,” the governor said.
“Today, after receiving forecasts about the intensity of this storm, I have declared a state of emergency for each county in Florida to ensure that state, federal, and local governments can work together to ensure that resources are dispersed to local communities while we prepare for this storm, “he added.
Scott detailed that the state of emergency allows emergency management officials to act quickly in the best interest of Floridians without the burden of bureaucracy.
“In Florida, we know the best way to protect our families in tough times is to have a plan,” he said.
The governor urged all Floridians to remain vigilant, to stay alert to the local climate and follow the news.
Hurricane Irma, the fourth of the hurricane season in the Atlantic, happened in the morning of Thursday directly from tropical storm to hurricane category 2 and today it rose to category 4 in the scale of intensity of Saffir-Simpson, of a maximum of 5 .
The first tropical storm of 2017 was Arlene, which formed last April in the mid-Atlantic, more than a month before the start of the season.
This was followed by Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily and Franklin, who became the first hurricane of the season, then Gert, the second hurricane, Harvey, who reached category 4, and now Irma.
Irma is again a category 3 hurricane on its route to the Caribbean
Irma continues its fluctuations of intensity and returned to be a category 3 hurricane while it continues its displacement on the Atlantic towards Caribbean, informed the National Center of Hurricanes (NHC) today.
The hurricane, the fourth of the hurricane season in the Atlantic basin, has sustained maximum winds of 185 kilometers per hour (115 m / h) and is expected to “further strengthen towards Monday night”, when it could even reach the category 4, said the NHC in its bulletin of 11.00 ET.
The authorities remain expectant to the development of Irma, especially by its displacement with direction west-southwest at a speed of translation of 22 kilometers per hour (14 m / h), that is to Caribbean island.
The cyclone is located 1,420 kilometers (885 miles) east of the islands of Sotavento (Lesser Antilles), which are expected to broadcast hurricane and tropical storm warnings today, the NHC reported. in Miami.
Irma, who according to a likely trajectory pattern on Monday will shift to the west, will remain a “powerful hurricane” in the coming days, CNH meteorologists added.
South Florida officials are keenly aware of the hurricane’s progress, which in the middle of next week will have more certainty if it will impact coastal areas of the peninsula.
The cyclone struck Thursday morning from tropical storm category 2 hurricane and quickly became a major hurricane, climbing to category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson intensity scale, a maximum of 5.
The first tropical storm of 2017 was Arlene, which formed last April in the mid-Atlantic, more than a month before the start of the season.
This was followed by Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily and Franklin, who became the first hurricane of the season, then Gert, the second hurricane, Harvey, who reached category 4, and now Irma.
