Hurricane Irma’s sustained winds re-strengthened to over 130 miles per hour late Saturday night, and the storm was reclassified as a Category 4 Hurricane as it continued towards the Florida Keys. As of 11:45 pm PST, Irma was about 170 miles southeast of Key West, moving NW at a rate of 6 miles per hour.
More than six million Florida residents have been instructed to evacuate for their own safety.
“If you have been ordered to evacuate, you need to leave now,” Gov. Rick Scott said at a news conference. “This is your last chance to make a good decision.”
According to a report by the New York Times, nearly 100,000 people had already lost power in Florida. Four hundred shelters have opened around the state, and more will open as residents seek safety.
Updates will be made available as possible, and more information on the storm’s development can be found here. We’re sending positive thoughts and wishing for everyone’s safety.
