Weather

The Miami Herald reports: As the waves and winds began easing Sunday, residents of Old Town emerged not knowing exactly what to expect from the most powerful hurricane to strike the Florida Keys in more than a half century. But all in all, many in Key West seemed relieved that the damage from a Category 4 Irma was not much, …

The Associated Press reports: Announcing itself with roaring 130 mph winds, Hurricane Irma plowed into the mostly emptied-out Florida Keys early Sunday for the start of what could be a slow, ruinous march up the state’s west coast toward the heavily populated Tampa-St. Petersburg area. “The most important thing is to pray for us,” Gov. Rick Scott said on NBC. …

Overnight open thread for Irma watchers. Here’s the latest: Hurricane Irma churned toward Florida on Saturday, leaving a trail of death and destruction across the Caribbean and prompting one of the largest emergency evacuations in American history. The National Hurricane Center said on Saturday evening the eye of Irma was beginning to slowly move away from the coast of Cuba …

The Washington Examiner reports: A “reasonable worst case scenario” forecast shows half of Key West underwater due to storm surge, according to a Weather Channel meteorologist. Hurricane Irma, a Category 3 storm as of 11 a.m., is predicted to turn away from Cuba and make landfall in the Sunshine State by Sunday morning. Forecasters say the eye is expected to …

NBC News reports: The newest projected path for Hurricane Irma shows it regaining strength after it passes Cuba and making a Florida landfall as a Category 5 storm. Irma is then expected to move over Florida and then continue through Georgia and west over Huntsville, Alabama as it loses hurricane status. With the current projected path, Irma will make landfall …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: As Hurricane Irma makes its way toward Florida, two other hurricanes are gaining strength as they near land. Hurricane Jose is now an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm. It’s still forecast to steer north, potentially avoiding any impact to Florida. It’s 535 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands, which were battered this week by Irma, according …

CBS News reports: The mayor and emergency managers have spoken and the people of Miami Beach listened. Thousands packed what they needed and evacuated. Friday morning the normally busy South Beach was a virtual ghost town, the businesses and hotels along Ocean Drive shuttered or boarded up for the storm. Mayor Philip Levine has urged everyone in the city to …

The Miami Herald reports: President Donald Trump’s seaside Mar-a-Lago resort has been ordered to evacuate because of Hurricane Irma, along with the barrier islands and low-lying areas of Palm Beach County. About 125,000 Palm Beach residents are being told to leave starting Friday at 10 a.m., according to the Sun Sentinel. All of Florida is under a state of emergency, …

NBC News reports: Hurricane Irma was on a track to slam Miami this weekend as it continued to cut a fatal and destructive swath through the Caribbean islands Thursday. As of 6 p.m., Miami was about 52 hours from feeling the first effects of a killer storm that has already been blamed for at least nine deaths across a string …

Broward County Mayor Mayor Barbara Sharief last night ordered the mandatory evacuation of areas east of US 1, which runs parallel to the coast about two miles inland. The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports: The evacuation order for areas east of Federal Highway, barrier islands, low-lying areas and mobile homes goes into effect at noon Thursday. She said the implementation is …

ABC News reports: Hurricane Katia has formed in the Gulf off the coast of Mexico with sustained winds of 75 mph. The government of Mexico has issued a hurricane watch for the coast of the state of Veracruz from Tuxpan to Laguna Verde. Katia is anticipated to drift toward the coast on Thursday. The announcement of Hurricane Katia came minutes …

The Miami Herald reports: One of the most powerful hurricanes on record continued steaming toward South Florida early Wednesday, with its course after three days still shifting. In their early morning discussion, National Hurricane Center forecasters said the latest model runs have moved Irma’s path slightly to the east, taking the fierce Cat 5 storm over Florida’s east coast or …

The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports: As Hurricane Irma threatens South Florida, Broward and Palm Beach County officials are mulling when to open shelters and order evacuations; Miami-Dade County will begin evacuations Wednesday. Miami-Dade County officials announced that evacuations will begin Wednesday. County offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. “Because of the strength and intensity of this storm, we need …

Miami’s CBS affiliate reports: Evacuation orders are being given in the Florida Keys as Monroe County emergency managers prepare for Hurricane Irma. “For the Florida Keys, if you were to create the worst case scenario that is what we are looking at,” said Monroe Co. Emergency Operations Center Director Martin Senterfitt. The grim outlook prompted Senterfitt to order mandatory evacuations. …

The Associated Press reports: Beyonce, Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey will headline a one-hour benefit telethon to benefit Hurricane Harvey victims that will be simulcast next week on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CMT. The event will be telecast live at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 12, and on tape delay at 8 p.m. on the West Coast. …

The Weather Channel reports: Hurricane Irma has strengthened into a dangerous Category 5 hurricane as it bears down on the Leeward Islands, and will rake through the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispañola, the Bahamas and Cuba before posing a dangerous threat to Florida and parts of the Southeast beginning this weekend. The center of Irma is located just under 300 …

The Weather Channel reports: Hurricane Irma is a growing threat to the continental United States, with impacts possibly beginning in Florida later this week. Before that, Irma will bring dangerous conditions to the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Cuba. It is too soon to speculate on the specifics surrounding the U.S. threat from Irma, but the hurricane …

CBS News reports: Tropical Storm Irma is now a hurricane in the open Atlantic and is expected to strengthen into a category 4 storm as it treks west. As of late Thursday morning, Irma was a category 2 storm packing sustained winds of 100 mph and was located more than 3,000 miles away from Florida. The storm is headed west …

Mediaite reports: After Donald Trump claimed he witnessed the “horror and devastation” of Harvey “first hand” in Texas, a photo was posted to his Instagram account that shows the president staring at a screen with a map — an exact opposite of what one would describe as “first hand.” As the internet is known to do, Twitter roasted the president …

NBC News reports: A flooded chemical plant near Houston exploded twice early Thursday, sending a plume of smoke into the air and triggering a fire that the firm plans to let “burn itself out.” Arkema Group, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, had warned Wednesday that the plant would catch fire and explode at some point — adding that …