Just a few days after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and damaged major parts of Houston, the U.S. has yet another Hurricane — Irma — headed toward its East coast, said to reach the continent in the vicinity of Florida this weekend, anywhere between September 9-11, 2017.
Irma is categorized as a Category 5 storm and according to reports has killed at least 10 people so far. According to NOAA: “The threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week has increased.”
While hurricane watches might be issued for some parts of the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula as of September 7, 2017, there have been mandatory evacuation orders for residents of Miami-Dade, along with bal Harbor, Bay Harbor Island, Golden Beach, Indian Creek Village, Miami Beach, North Bay Village, Sunny Isles Beach, and Surf Side.
“The last time a Category 5 hurricane ripped through Florida, it was so destructive that meteorologists retired its name forever… Hurricane Andrew.” – New York Times
Hurricane Irma is no joke
Florida’s Governor Rick Scott urged Florida residents to take the imminent risk serious and make their families’ safety a priority, he wrote on Twitter:
‘Every Floridian should take storm preparations seriously and be aggressive to protect their family.’
The Governor said on Fox news:
‘We can rebuild our homes, we can get our possessions again, we can’t rebuild our families.’
.@FLGovScott on staying safe during Irma: "We can rebuild our homes, we can get our possessions again, we can't rebuild our families." pic.twitter.com/cdhELrehwq
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 6, 2017
Scott’s urges don’t come without reason. Many videos circulating the Internet show how irresponsible many people behaved during Hurricane sandy, which was considered by experts as the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.
Back then, “Superstorm Sandy,” hit the shores with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km). According to 2015 assessments, Sandy damaged about $75 billion worth of property, infrastructure, and homes, while killing 233 people.
Watch this video to see people not taking official hurricane warnings serious in 2012:
Hurricane Andrew, made landfall southwest of Miami in 1992, killing 65 people, destroying 63,000 homes, and inflicting $26.5 billion in economic losses.
According to estimates, if a similar hurricane were to hit Florida today in the same area, it would be even more detrimental than Andrew — causing up to $100 billion in damage, according to an analysis by Swiss Re, the reinsurance firm.
These numbers are even after accounting for the many strengthened building in South Florida after building codes got tighter as a result of Hurricane Andrew.
Hurricane Andrew, 1992. (Image: National Hurricane Center, via Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain)
Better safe than sorry
There are people who salute the governor for his devotion to having people understand the imminent threat and take it seriously, to bring themselves and their families into safety before its too late.
The following tweet shows a netizens positive response to Governor Scotts warnings.
I'm very impressed with @FLGovScott declaring the State of Emergency for Florida 5-6 days in advance of future Major Hurricane #Irma impacts pic.twitter.com/m8SfpHpB4D
— Michael Ventrice (@MJVentrice) September 7, 2017
When will it be over?
In hard times like this, when a lot and even ones well-being and that of friends and relatives might be at stake, the main question many might be asking themselves is: “How much longer?”
As Florida braces itself for a direct hit from the deadly hurricane, the Caribbean has been left devastated by the wrath of Irma as she passed through there.
“The strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever measured has slammed into Caribbean islands” –Aljazeera
So far there are no estimates on how long Irma will prevail. Looking back, we know that Hurricane Andrew formed August 16,1992 and struck South Miami-Dade on August 24, 1992.
You are not alone
The Latest: Macron to visit French Caribbean islands https://t.co/gBmUUBEEjU pic.twitter.com/r8fGJrFxr6
— NEWS102.3 KRMG (@KRMGtulsa) September 7, 2017
As people who lost their homes, due to Irma, grasp onto life — the only valuable belonging that would remain untouched if they survived — the world bears with them and all of those who are yet to stand eye-to-eye with this almost cataclysmic wheel of destruction surging toward Florida.
According to foreign reports France and the Netherlands claimed to have sent aid to the just recently struck islands like Saint Martin, in the Caribbean. According to a report by the standard on Macron’s visit to the French Caribbean islands, Saint-Martin is “95 percent destroyed.”
The island is part French and part Dutch. Currently Irma is still categorized as a threat and is heading toward Miami. All we can do now is brace ourselves and hope for the best.
Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our weekly email
The post Hurricane Irma to Hit Florida After Devastating Caribbean Islands appeared first on Vision Times.
