US President Donald Trump urges Americans to stay safe as ‘epic’ Hurricane Irma approaches Florida
More than 1 million people are under mandatory orders to evacuate in Florida and Georgia, and more states are expected to urge residents to seek higher ground
US President Donald Trump urged Americans Friday to get out of the way of Hurricane Irma, calling it an “epic” storm as other officials warned time was running out for people living its path to escape its wrath.
Irma menaced Cuba and the Bahamas on Friday as it drove toward Florida after lashing the Caribbean with devastatingly high winds, killing 21 people and leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake.Irma is now a category 4 hurricane packing winds of 240km/h and is expected to make landfall in south Florida over the weekend.
“Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way, if possible. Federal G is ready!” Trump tweeted.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told a press briefing Irma is “a remarkably dangerous storm, and the window to get yourself in the right spot for weathering the storm, either evacuating or weathering the storm is closing rapidly”.
More than 1 million people are under mandatory orders to evacuate in Florida and Georgia, and more states are expected to urge residents to seek higher ground, said FEMA administrator Brock Long.
“Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States in either Florida or some of the southeastern states,” Long said. “I can guarantee you that I don’t know anybody in Florida that has ever experienced what is about to hit south Florida. They need to get out and listen to the advice.”
Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States
Long said just three category 5 hurricanes have hit the United States since 1851, including Hurricane Andrew which levelled much of south Florida in 1992.
