Florida prepares for Irma, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record

With Irma’s sustained winds topping at 185 mph, the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sparked a flurry of preparations locally and throughout Florida.

In response to the monster storm, Florida Gov. Rick Scott activated the State Emergency Operations Center to a level one, for full-scale, 24-hour activation.

The Manatee County Commission will meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday, and is expected to declare a local state of emergency, a move that will allow officials to order evacuations and other steps — if needed.

Scott activated 100 members of the Florida Air and Army National Guard to be stationed across the state, and all 7,000 National Guard members will report for duty Friday morning. Thirteen helicopters and more than 1,000 tactical high-wheeled trucks have been placed on standby, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is preparing search and rescue teams. Several other preparations are in the works for environmental protections, telecommunications, public health, fuel, insurance, utilities, schools and transportation.

“Do not sit and wait to prepare. Get prepared now,” Scott said during a news conference Tuesday evening.

At Scott’s request, President Donald Trump declared a pre-landfall state of emergency in order to free up federal funds ahead of Irma for emergency protective measures such as shoring up beach dunes, building emergency berms and planning for potential evacuations. Scott also said that FEMA officials have assured him that their Harvey response will not affect any needed response in Florida.

“Remember we can rebuild your home, not your life,” Scott said.

He also ordered the Florida Department of Transportation to suspend all tolls in the state, effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

“They will be suspended for the duration of the storm’s impacts to Florida,” Scott said in an issued statement. “Ensuring the safety of Florida families and visitors is our top priority and suspending tolls statewide will help people quickly evacuate and make it easier for all Floridians to access important hurricane supplies to ensure they are fully prepared.”

Other counties have already declared local states of emergency.

The Florida Keys and Monroe County have been ordered to evacuate. Officials will issue a mandatory visitor evacuation that is expected to begin around sunrise Wednesday, according to the county’s website. A mandatory evacuation will be issued for residents as well, but the time has yet to be determined.

As of the 8 p.m. NHC update, Irma’s maximum sustained winds remain 185 mph and the storm is moving west at about 15 mph. The minimum pressure is 916 mb.

“Potentially catastrophic” Irma was expected to move near or over portions of the northern Leeward Islands on Tuesday night and early Wednesday and showed a very slight turn to the west-northwest Tuesday night, according to the NHC.

Other alerts related to the story:

• Hurricane warning is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with Haiti.
• Hurricane watch is in effect for: Guadeloupe, Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Le Mole St. Nicholas, Turks and Caicos Islands, the Southeastern Bahamas and Cuba from the provinces of Matanzas eastward to Guantanamo..
• A tropical storm warning is in effect for: Guadeloupe, Dominica, Dominican Republic from south of Cabo Engano westward to the southern border with Haiti.
• A tropical storm watch is in effect for: Haiti from south of Le Mole St. Nicholas to Port-Au-Prince.

Irma is expected to continue strengthening, and it is predicted to remain a Category 4 or 5 storm as it moves closer to Florida.

As Florida braces for potential impacts of Irma, Manatee County will be distributing sandbags so residents can further prepare for the storm.

Crews will distribute sandbags from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, as well as 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the following locations:

• Buffalo Creek Park, 7550 69th Street East, Palmetto
• G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Avenue Drive West, Bradenton
• Lakewood Ranch Park, 5350 Lakewood Ranch Boulevard
• Stormwater Ops, 5511 39th Street East, Bradenton
• Rubonia Community Center, 1309 72nd Street East, Palmetto

Sandbags are also available for city of Bradenton residents, with proof of city residency, at Bradenton Public Works and Utilities, 701 13th Ave. W., Bradenton, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday. Sandbag distribution was discontinued just before 4 p.m. Tuesday after the city ran out of bags, but workers were filling bags so distribution could continue Wednesday, officials said.

There is a limit of 10 bags per person.

Holmes Beach is also distributing sandbags Tuesday in front of City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Residents can bring their own bags to be filled or can pick up a limit of 10 from the city.

Thursday, Big Earth Landscape Supply will offer free sand at their two locations: 6001 15th St. E., Bradenton and 1010 10th St. E., Palmetto.

As Irma moves closer to the U.S. coast, South Florida, particularly the Keys, appear increasingly likely to take a hit with tropical storm force winds that could arrive as early as Friday, according to the Miami Herald. However, because Irma is so large, forecasters have urged caution in paying too much attention to the storm’s exact track.

Manatee County officials say there are no plans as of Tuesday evening for evacuations or opening shelters.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said in a release his concern is the state’s vulnerability to storms. Florida is second only to California for overall risk of natural disasters, with 6.7 million homes listed in the “high or very high” risk categories, according to RealtyTrac, a housing data company, the release stated.

“There is absolutely no downside in preparing for the worst. Florida can’t afford to be complacent given Mother Nature’s unpredictability,” Buchanan said in a prepared statement.

Monday night, Scott declared a state of emergency.

Florida residents still have time to prepare, as Irma’s effects aren’t expected to hit the Sunshine State until later in the week. Tropical storm force winds are not expected to hit the Tampa Bay area until after 8 a.m. Saturday, according to the NHC.

“We strongly urge residents and visitors to implement their personal plans,” Manatee County Emergency Management Chief Sherilyn Burris said in a release. “Now is the time. The storm still has a lot of forecast uncertainty, so don’t wait until it’s too late to make a plan.”

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Adam Putnam urged residents to prepare by identifying pet-friendly shelters, preparing a kit and having an adequate supply of food and water.

While hurricane season has reached its peak, it doesn’t end until Nov. 30.

For more ideas on how to prepare for a hurricane, Manatee County residents can visit mymanatee.org and read the “Hurricane Readiness Center.” All Florida residents can visit FLGetAPlan.com for more disaster preparation advice.

Weather for the rest of the week is forecast to be scattered showers and storms with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s, according to the National Weather Service.

Tuesday will see a 30 percent chance of showers and storms, mainly between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. with heat index values as high as 100, according to the NWS.

Much of the same is expected for Wednesday, with a 30 percent chance of rain with scattered showers and storms expected after 11 a.m. The high will be around 89, though the heat index value could be as high as 99, according to the NWS. Thursday will see a 40 percent chance of storms after 2 p.m.

Starting Friday, the chance of storms and showers increases to 50 percent or greater through the weekend, according to the NWS.

Officials are also eying Tropical Storm Jose, which is 1,505 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to the NHC. Jose is moving west-northwest at about 13 mph and a movement toward the west or west-northwest at a slightly faster rate of forward speed is expected during the next two days.

No coastal watches or warnings are in effect for Jose.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Florida prepares for Irma, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record."