Irma slowly turns to Florida; Key West feels hurricane-force winds
(CNN)Time is running out to evacuate and prepare for Hurricane Irma, officials warned Saturday night as violent winds and rains from the Category 3 storm began pounding the southern tip of Florida.
Irma's powerful winds and outer rain bands lashed the Florida Keys on Saturday as the massive storm slowly began turning from Cuba's northern coast up into the Florida Strait, the National Hurricane Center said.
Winds of 74 mph -- hurricane force -- reached Key West late Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
With maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, Irma is expected to strengthen once it moves away from Cuba, with the possibility of hitting the US mainland as a Category 4.
Irma's eye is expected to be cross the lower Florida Keys on Sunday morning before driving up the state's west coast in the afternoon, according to the hurricane center. Almost the entire state is under hurricane warning with concerns of devastating gales, heavy rain and life-threatening storm surge.
At least 36 million people were under hurricane warning Saturday night, the center said.
As Irma drew closer to the third most populous state, officials warned the 6.5 million Floridians under mandatory evacuation orders that they were down to their last hours to make a decision.
"If you have been ordered to evacuate, you need to leave now. This is your last chance to make a good decision," said Florida Gov. Rick Scott at a news briefing Saturday evening.
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Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long was even more blunt when asked about people who didn't heed evacuation orders in the Keys.
"If you didn't evacuate the Keys, you're on your own until we can actually get in there and it's safe," he told CNN Saturday. "The message has been clear: The Keys are going to be impacted. There is no safe area within the Keys. And you put your life in your own hands by not evacuating."
The National Hurricane Center warned that preparations had be complete in southwest Florida in a matter of hours on Saturday evening.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
