Irma’s Fearsome Winds Reach Florida Shores, With Full Strike Yet to Come
After plowing a path of destruction through the Caribbean
and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee in one of the largest evacuations in American history, Hurricane Irma began to maul southern Florida on Saturday and was poised to howl up its west coast Sunday with deadly force and fury.
At Largo High School, one of more than a dozen shelters in Pinellas County, hundreds of evacuees colonized classrooms
and auditoriums, assembling makeshift beds and sitting areas from whatever they could bring from home — air mattresses, blankets, light furniture.
“This is the big one, the hurricane we have all feared,” said Roman Gastesi, the county administrator for Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys.
“I started feeling a little queasy,” said Ms. Carlson, who has lived in Key West for more than 40 years
and weathered past hurricanes — though none this strong.
The hurricane was downgraded to Category 3 as it moved away from Cuba on Saturday,
but gained strength and was reclassified as Category 4 early Sunday as its eye approached the Florida Keys.
So I wasn’t exactly expecting this to happen now.”
As of Saturday night, 29 hospitals, 239 assisted-living facilities
and 56 other health care facilities in the state have been evacuated, according to Jason Mahon, a public information officer at the Florida State Emergency Operations Center.