Thursday, 8:50am: Hurricane Irma Update

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Here is Hurricane Irma at 7:45am CDT.
It is still a vicious Category 5 with a pressure of 921 mb. I expect a hurricane watch will be posted for Florida later this morning.

THE question is whether the storm will make a landfall in Florida or whether it will turn toward the north and graze the Florida coast. Usually, when the NWS launches special weather balloons and sends their entire force of data gathering airplanes there is a confluence of forecast tracks. In this case, that has not yet occurred.

Our AccuWeather forecast track is below, along with a graphic that depicts the location and

time of arrival of hurricane force (sustained 75 mph) winds.

A number of evacuation orders have been issued.

 So, What Do I Do Now?
  • Remember to photograph your possessions. If possible, upload to one of the online services to insure you have them in case they are needed for insurance purposes. 
  • There are many preparatory lists; use one. Make sure you get prescriptions refilled. 
  • If you are a tourist in southeast Florida, make plans to leave NOW, even if that were to involve (because flights are full) driving to Orlando or southwest Florida regional. Do not count on the airlines for your safety. 
  • Turn off your water, natural gas and electricity in your home before leaving. 
  • Prescriptions should be refilled to last at least a week from the time of arrival of the hurricane.
There is the potential for hurricane-force winds in coastal Carolina but there is more time to prepare in that region. 

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