what is hurricane irma's latest course

by Destiney Lang PhD 8 min read

By Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma was the strongest observed in the Atlantic in terms of maximum sustained winds since Wilma and the strongest storm on record to exist in the open Atlantic region. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two weeks later. The ninth named storm, fourth hurricane, second major hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the 2017 season, I…

is on a crash course with Florida, according to the latest projections by the National Hurricane Center. Irma striking Florida has seemed likely for days, although hurricane forecasters say they remain uncertain about the hurricane’s track after 72 hours.

Full Answer

What was Hurricane Irma like?

Sep 06, 2017 · Hurricane Irma is on a crash course with Florida, according to the latest projections by the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Irma remains a Category 5 hurricane Wednesday evening, and already...

How did Hurricane Irma get to Category 4?

Sep 04, 2017 · The NHC said in its latest advisory that Hurricane Irma's maximum sustained winds remain at 140 mph and is moving west at 13 mph. ... storm continues to track on a west-southwestward course ...

What is Hurricane Irma's expected path?

The major hurricane made landfall near Marco Island in southwest Florida around 3 pm EDT on September 10th, as a category-3 storm with 115 MPH. Naples, Florida reported a peak wind gust of 142 MPH. Irma moved quickly northward, just inland from the west coast of Florida on September 10th and 11th.

When was Hurricane Irma updated by the UK government?

Sep 06, 2017 · Hurricane Irma is on a crash course with Florida, according to the latest projections by the National Hurricane Center. Irma striking Florida has seemed likely for days, although hurricane ...

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Hurricane Irma is the strongest Atlantic basin hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It lasted as a hurricane from August 31 until September 11. The storm ...

How high was Hurricane Irma's storm surge?

In Camagüey Province, water reached a height of 2 m (6.5 ft) and pushed inland 200 m (650 ft) from the coast on Cayo Romano, where Irma made landfall as a category 5 hurricane. Wave heights there were observed to be over 8 m (26 ft) high.Mar 9, 2018

Was hurricane Irma a category 5?

Irma was a Category 5 hurricane, and in its aftermath, some people want a Category 6. Tom Krall lives on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands on the west end of the island, high on a ridge. That's where he was in September when Hurricane Irma roared through.Jun 17, 2018

What is Hurricane Irma's projected path?

The storm is projected to move north-northwest over the next 24 hours and along the West Coast. It's expected to make landfall in the Keys at daybreak Sunday. It will reach Naples and Fort Myers during the day. North Florida and the Panhandle will see tropical storm winds starting at 8 a.m. Monday.Sep 9, 2017

Is a Cat 7 hurricane possible?

A category 7 hurricane would have winds of at least 210 - 215 mph. By this logic, Hurricane Dorian would rate as a category 6 hurricane. Only one hurricane in world history would rank as a category 7: Hurricane Patricia of 2015, which peaked with 215-mph sustained winds off the Pacific coast of Mexico.Oct 3, 2019

Has there ever been a Category 6 hurricane?

There is no such thing as a category 6 hurricane or tropical storm – yet. The highest level – the top of the scale for the most powerful, most devastating hurricane or tropical storm capable of destroying entire cities like New Orleans or New York – is a category 5 storm.Sep 15, 2018

When did Irma hit Florida?

Sept. 10
Trek toward Florida

Irma eventually made landfall in the Florida Keys around 9 a.m. on Sept. 10. It slammed Cudjoe Key as a Category 4 storm then weakened to Category 3 strength. Hurricane Irma made a final landfall near Marco Island, Florida the afternoon just a few hours later.
Sep 10, 2021

Where did Hurricane Irma come ashore?

Irma made landfall over the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane the morning of Sept. 10, 2017. At its peak, Hurricane Irma was a Category 5 with wind speeds of 177 mph. 6 million Florida residents evacuated coastal areas.Aug 1, 2018

How long did it take to recover from Hurricane Irma?

On the three-year anniversary of this devastating storm, we remain committed to working with FEMA to make sure Florida recovers stronger than ever before.”
...
Florida Recovery from Hurricane Irma Continues With $5.8 Billion in Federal Support.
Release DateRelease Number
Release Date September 10, 2020Release Number NR 495
Sep 10, 2020

How far did Hurricane Irma travel?

The major hurricane made landfall near Marco Island in southwest Florida around 3 pm EDT on September 10 th, as a category-3 storm with 115 MPH. Naples, Florida reported a peak wind gust of 142 MPH. Irma moved quickly northward, just inland from the west coast of Florida on September 10 th and 11 th.

What is strongest hurricane ever?

Here are the strongest hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland based on windspeed at landfall:
  • Labor Day Hurricane of 1935: 185-mph in Florida.
  • Hurricane Camille (1969): 175-mph in Mississippi.
  • Hurricane Andrew (1992): 165-mph in Florida.
  • Hurricane Michael (2018): 155-mph in Florida.
Sep 1, 2021

What is the strongest hurricane possible?

Assuming that maximum potential intensity theory is appropriate, we can say that the highest wind speed any hurricane can produce is about 200 mph. When we plug values into the Vmax equation that are typical of the tropical Atlantic Ocean around this time of year, the maximum potential intensity is ~180 mph.Sep 8, 2017

What's a Category 5 hurricane?

A Category 5 has maximum sustained winds of at least 156 mph, according to this National Hurricane Center report from May 2021, and the effects can be devastating. "People, livestock, and pets are at very high risk of injury or death from flying or falling debris, even if indoors in manufactured homes or framed homes.Aug 29, 2021

What category was Hurricane Irma?

Other wikis. Commons: Irma images. Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two weeks later.

Where did Hurricane Irma hit?

Hurricane Irma affected multiple states in the South, especially Florida. Except for the Florida Keys, the total damage Irma caused was not as great as government officials and forecasters had warned. Irma weakened after making landfall in Cuba, but strengthened back into a Category 4 prior to hitting the Keys.

What was the first hurricane to hit the Leeward Islands?

Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two weeks later.

What was the state of emergency in Florida?

On September 4, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency. Governor Scott placed 100 members of the Florida National Guard on duty to assist in preparations. All 7,000 troops were ordered to be on duty by September 8. Officials advised residents to stock their hurricane kits. The state coordinated with electrical companies in order for power outages to be restored as quickly as possible, extending resources such as equipment, fuel, and lodging for the approximately 24,000 restoration personnel who had been activated. Governor Scott suspended tolls on all toll roads in Florida, including the turnpike. All state offices in Florida were closed from September 8 to September 11, while public schools, state colleges, and state universities in all 67 counties were closed during the same period. The Florida Department of Education coordinated with school districts as the need for transportation by school buses and opening shelters arose. By September 9, more than 150 state parks were closed. Throughout the state, almost 700 emergency shelters were opened. The shelters collectively housed about 191,764 people, with more than 40% of them staying in a shelter in South Florida. Additionally, more than 60 special needs shelters were opened, which housed more than 5,000 people by September 9.

Why was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game postponed?

In professional sports, the Miami Dolphins – Tampa Bay Buccaneers game scheduled for September 10 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami was postponed to November 19 due to the storm's threat. The Dolphins left early for their road game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees moved their September 11–13 series from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to Citi Field in Queens. Minor League Baseball 's Florida State League, Carolina League, and Southern League called off their championship finals and as a result, named their division series winners league co-champions. The Miami FC versus San Francisco Deltas match on September 10 was cancelled so the players and staff could prepare for the storm with their families. The Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League rescheduled their September 9 match to September 7. Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer did not have any scheduled home games in September, but was unable to return to training facilities in Orlando due to Hurricane Irma.

How much did FEMA get for Hurricane Harvey?

As of September 5, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding was running dangerously low, due to its response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas the previous week, prompting the Trump administration to request an immediate $8 billion in additional funding as Irma approached Florida.

How much money did Trump request for Hurricane Harvey?

As of September 5, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding was running dangerously low, due to its response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas the previous week, prompting the Trump administration to request an immediate $8 billion in additional funding as Irma approached Florida. Given the rate that current funds are being consumed and the catastrophic damage, the United States Senate almost doubled the requested amount to $15.3 billion, with the understanding that this would only be about 10% of what will be required for responding to Harvey.

Is Hurricane Irma strong?

No word seems strong enough to describe Hurricane Irma — one of the most powerful storms ever seen in the Atlantic.

How long did Hurricane Irma last?

It lasted as a hurricane from August 31 until September 11.

What is the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic?

Irma 's path of destruction. Hurricane Irma is the strongest Atlantic basin hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

What happened to Barbuda in September?

The hurricane hit southwest Florida on September 10, battering the state's lower half and leaving a trail of tornadoes and storm-surge flooding as its core slowly moved inland.

What is the impact of Hurricane Irma on Florida?

Hurricane Irma will bring severe hurricane conditions to Florida by Sunday. Florida will see destructive winds, storm surge, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes. Florida's west coast will see very damaging, if not deadly, storm surge. Irma will then impact parts of Georgia and the Carolinas by later Sunday into Monday.

Where is Batisseurs Solidaires located?

NGO Batisseurs Solidaires members rebuild a house destroyed by the hurricane Irma, in Quartier d'Orleans on February 28, 2018, on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin six months after the passing of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September.

Mainland U.S. landfall threat

Computer models are in strong agreement that by Saturday, Irma will be approaching the Florida Keys — where dangerous storm conditions are likely. Then, they show a sharp northward turn by Sunday morning. The precise timing and location of the turn has huge implications for Florida.

Irma's place in history

Irma's peak intensity so far ranks among the strongest in recorded history, exceeding the likes of Katrina, Andrew and Camille — whose winds peaked at 175 mph.

Tropical Storm Jose forms in eastern Atlantic

While all attention is on Hurricane Irma, Tropical Storm Jose formed in the eastern Atlantic Tuesday morning. This storm is also predicted to intensify into a hurricane over the coming days, but the latest track forecast keeps it away from land areas for the most part.

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Overview

Meteorological history

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring a tropical wave over western Africa on August 26. The tropical wave moved off the coast of the continent late on August 27. Throughout the next two days, showers and thunderstorms associated with the wave became better organized and gradually coalesced into a low-pressure area, as the system passed just south of and the…

Preparations

Given that Irma's forecast track was along much of the Caribbean island chain, hurricane warnings were issued for the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and parts of Hispaniola on September 5.
In Antigua and Barbuda, residents safeguarded their homes and cleaned up their properties in anticipation of strong winds. Emergency crews were put on stand…

Impact

Hurricane Irma's path was such that its impact was both far-reaching and devastating, with landfalls in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Martin, the Bahamas, Cuba, and the United States, all at major hurricane intensity. Furthermore, the size of the storm system meant that destruction was prevalent even in territories well removed from landfall occurrences. Irma is the second-costlies…

Aftermath

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma's path through the West Indies and Caribbean, the devastation to roads, harbors and airports significantly impeded the transportation and distribution of relief supplies. Foreign countries moved to provide much of the initial aid. The British, Dutch, French, and United States governments sent warships and planes with supplies and manpower t…

Records

Irma set multiple records for intensity, especially at easterly longitudes, time spent at such an intensity, and its intensity at landfall. When Irma reached Category 5 intensity with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) at 11:45 UTC on September 5 at 57.7°W, it became the easternmost Atlantic hurricane of this strength on record, surpassing Hurricane David of 1979, later beaten by Hurricane Lorenzo 2 years later. By 00:15 UTC on September 6, Irma reached peak intensity with 180 mph (…

Retirement

On April 11, 2018, at the 40th session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Irma from its rotating naming lists, due to the extensive amount of damage and loss of life it caused in the northeastern Caribbean and the United States, particularly in Florida, and it will never again be used for another Atlantic hurricane. It will be replaced with Idalia for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

See also

• Weather of 2017
• Tropical cyclones in 2017
• List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
• Operation RUMAN – UK military-civil disaster relief response to Hurricane Irma.