Hurricane Irma has increased to the maximum category: in Florida, a state of emergency

Photo: Voice of America

The United States has not yet recovered from the devastating consequences in Texas from Hurricane Harvey, when Hurricane Irma, which formed in the Atlantic Ocean, reached a maximum power category of five on the Saffir-Simpson scale and threatens the state of Florida.

Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in order to prepare the state for a possible disaster, writes Cbs miami. On Monday evening, he issued an order for all 67 counties in the state shortly after the Hurricane Center predicted that the hurricane would reach South Florida over the weekend.

“Hurricane Irma is serious and life-threatening, and Florida must be prepared. I continue to receive prompt information from the Florida Division of Emergency Management regarding Hurricane Irma, and current forecasts place Florida in Irma's path, potentially impacting millions of Floridians,” Governor Scott said.

Emergency officials in the Caribbean warned that Irma could bring with them up to 25 centimeters of precipitation, causing landslides and flooding. The hurricane will also cause waves as high as 7 meters.

Wind speeds at Irma's epicenter reached 165 miles (265 km) per hour, or 75 meters per second. The hurricane is moving west at 13 miles (20 km) per hour or 5,8 meters per second.

Hurricane Irma could reach the US-affiliated state of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti by mid-Wednesday, and southern Florida by mid-afternoon Saturday, according to the center's forecasts.

“In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and while Irma's exact path is not entirely known at this time, we cannot afford to be unprepared,” the Florida governor added.

Declaring a state of emergency allows officials to act quickly without the “burden of bureaucracy or red tape”.

Residents, while resting on Labor Day - a national holiday in the United States - have updated food and water, writes Miami Herald.

Some stores were able to keep up with a surge in the number of buyers.

However, there were those where the water is very quickly over, and new supplies need to wait.

Evacuation zones in south florida

In the districts of Miami-Dade and Broward, there are maps defining areas that are at risk from storm surges in the event of severe weather.

There are five zones in Miami-Dade, designated A to E.

Zone A is considered the most risky for a storm wave and a hurricane, category 1 and above. Zone E is at greatest risk of storm surges in the 5 hurricane category.

The Miami-Dade district updated the storm surge map for the first time in 10 years in 2013.

Broward County evacuation zones include two areas: Plan A from the coastline to A1A and Plan B from A1A to the Northern Federal Highway.

While emergency workers emphasize that no hurricane will force each of the zones to evacuate, it is important to know where you live and to know what to do if they call your zone.

Meanwhile, hurricane harvey who caused massive flooding and devastation in Texas and Louisiana, retired from the coast of the United States.

Read also on ForumDaily:

16 states with the most natural disasters

How to protect your home and wallet if you live in a hurricane zone

How to survive a hurricane with minimal losses

10 items required in case of emergency evacuation

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