Hurricane Irma officially made landfall at 9:10 a.m. on Sunday morning, hitting the Florida Keys as a category 4 storm with 130 mile-per-hour winds. Irma first passed over Cudjoe Key, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.
This is the first time that two category 4-plus storms have made landfall in the continental United States within a single hurricane season, according to the Hurricane Tracker App. Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a category 4 two weeks ago and left staggering devastation in its wake. Rebuilding after the storm could reportedly cost $180 billion.
At least three people have already died in Florida as a result of the hurricane and more than 1.1 million households and businesses have lost power. Utility crews have already been making their way into the state to prepare for a month of near-constant work to repair infrastructure.
The west coast Florida city of Naples is expected to be in Irma’s path and be hit by the eye of the storm, which could foster dangerous winds. To track the storm, you can follow the National Weather Service and its various arms, including the Key West outlet.
Meteorologists and climate experts have warned that severe weather events could grow in number and severity in part because of climate change.
