How are hurricanes formed?

Hurricanes begin as tropical storms over the warm ocean waters near the equator. When this
warm and wet air rises, it liquidises to form formidable dark clouds causing heavy rainfall; it also
creates a low pressure zone near the surface of the water. Warm air is under higher pressure than
cold air, so moves towards the space occupied by the colder, lower pressure air.

As a result, the low pressure sucks in air from the warm surroundings, which then also rises. The
continuous up-flow of warm and wet air continues to create clouds and rain and is twisted high
in the atmosphere. The winds begin to circle anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere or
clockwise south of the equator around the centre of low pressure (the eye of the storm), moving
at speeds of 74 to 200 miles per hour.

Air is ejected at the top of the storm and falls to the outside, away from the eye of the storm
which reduces the mass of air over the eye causing wind speed to increase further. As long as
the hurricane remains over waters of 26 degrees Celsius or warmer, it continues to pull moisture
from the surface and grow hence why the hurricane increases in size, power and velocity.

When a hurricane crosses land or cooler waters, it loses its force because their energy comes
from sucking up moist sea air but the damage may have been considerable. Hurricanes are also
referred to as typhoons and cyclones in different parts of the world.

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/07/how-are-hurricanes-formed6909521/#ixzz4sux4mIKp

Hurricane Irma start of the end of the world? String of disasters sign of apocalypse

HURRICANE Irma is one of a number of natural disasters and man-made threats around
the globe causing people the fear the end of the world is upon us.

The deadly Hurricane Irma is on a collision course with Florida and neighboring US states after
it pummeled the Caribbean islands earlier this week.

This disaster, along with Hurricane Harvey, Mexicos strongest earthquake in a century this
morning, the solar eclipse, wildfires in Australia and the US, and the threat of nuclear war has
people scared.

One conspiracy theorist posted a Bible verse on their Facebook page which read: Luke 21:25-26
reads: There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and
perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of
what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken."

They added: Now tell me, with no doubts, that isn't exactly what's happening, coincidence or
not. Let me point out that on [August] 21 we had the eclipse, and on the 25 hurricane Harvey
struck, flooding on the 26.

Several states are on fire, then hurricane Harvey, now hurricane Irma, followed by Jos and
Katia, now a massive earthquake with possibility of a tsunami in Mexico.

"Its all very scary, and all very rushed, and I truly am wondering if all of those rumors are true
or not.

Another added: Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Paul, Hurricane Sandra, Hurricane Irma,
landslide, earthquake, mother earth is complaining. More catastrophe, apocalypse for the world.

One other said: We are witnessing massive hurricanes and flooding, wildfires raging,
earthquakes and nuclear war threats on a scale not seen in years. What in the world is going on
here?
Is the massive flooding that came from Hurricane Harvey, and the impending Hurricane Irma
baring down as a possible category 5 storm occurring so closely together a coincidence?

"Are they the results of geo-engineering and thus man made, or are they part of Gods judgment
on America?

Hurricane Irma is set to reach the US on Sunday, September 10, after devastating the Caribbean
islands.

In anticipation of the impending storm, the USs Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) warned: Hurricane Irma, as one of the most powerful Atlantic Hurricanes ever
observed, is extremely dangerous.

Destructive winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible, as well as potentially deadly
storm surges.

Storm surge and inland flooding pose a significant threat for drowning and can occur before,
during, or after the centre of a storm passes through an area.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/851726/Hurricane-irma-path-end-of-the-world-war-3-
hurricane-harvey-mexico-earthquake
Hurricane Irma is expected to hit South Florida and the Gulf Coast: What we know

Earlier in the week, Irma sustained 185 mph winds for more than 24 hours, a record length of
time for a hurricane in the Atlantic. And Irma was a Category 5 storm for around 3 days
which is also nearly a record.

Now, Irma has weakened a bit to a Category 3 storm, slowing over Cuba to 125 mph. But dont
let that fool you: The National Hurricane Center believes that it will speed back up when it
leaves Cuba before it makes landfall on the Florida Keys (expected on Sunday morning).

Originally, Miami was expected to bear the brunt of the storm once it hit Florida but by
Saturday morning, the storms trajectory had shifted westward, with Tampa, the Gulf Coast, and
other parts of South Florida (including the Florida Keys) in line for the worst effects. Mandatory
evacuations have been issued for Collier County around Naples, Hillsborough County around
Tampa, and the Keys.

Tropical storm and hurricane-strength conditions are expected to begin in Florida around 2 pm
on Saturday and continue into Sunday. Roughly 5.6 million have been asked to evacuate their
homes in the state due to the storm.

"You need to leave right now not tonight, not in an hour, now, Florida Governor Rick Scott
said in a Saturday morning presser. You are running out of time"

The National Hurricane Center projects that Irma will be Category 4 when it hits Florida. That
would make it one of the most powerful hurricanes to land in the state. And it could even
strengthen back into a Category 5.

But dont focus so much on the category number, which is determined solely by wind speed: Its
the combination of wind, storm surge, rain, flooding, and even the possibility of tornadoes that
are the biggest concern for much of the Florida peninsula. (The greatest threat to loss of life in
most hurricanes is storm surge and coastal flooding not wind.)

The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for much of West and South
Florida, which means the center believes dangerous conditions are imminent.
There is the danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation in portions of central and
southern Florida, including the Florida Keys, during the next 36 hours, where a Storm Surge
Warning is in effect, the National Hurricane Center explained in a Saturday morning update.

Theres also a chance that coastal areas of Gorgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, will be
affected by Irma. Irma will likely bring periods of heavy rain to much of the Florida Panhandle,
Georgia, South Carolina, and western North Carolina early next week, including some
mountainous areas which are more prone to flash flooding, the hurricane center reports.

Irma has already devastated several Eastern Caribbean islands

On Wednesday, the fierce storm hit the northeastern Caribbean islands with 185 mph winds,
moving through Barbuda and St. Martin. The New York Times reports widespread damage to
property, homes, and infrastructure on these and other islands. Gaston Browne, the prime
minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told reporters Barbuda is totally destroyed 90 percent at
least. Reports indicate at least 19 have died in the Caribbean.

Wednesday night, the storm passed just north of Puerto Rico, and knocked out power for around
1 million people on the island. There are fears the outages could last months. On Thursday, Irma
grazed by the north shore of Dominican Republic and Haiti and started to pummel Turks and
Caicos and the Southeastern Bahamas. Friday night, the storm hit Cuba.

Evacuations in Florida are underway

Much is still uncertain about how the storms impact on Florida. Tiny shifts in its track appear to
have steered the worst of Irma away from Miami-Dade and towards Tampa. There are also
chances of impacts in Georgia and the Carolinas, depending on which direction the storm
movesin the coming days.

Florida has declared a state of emergency, freeing up resources for shelters, evacuations, and
deploying National Guard members. Mandatory evacuation orders are underway in the Florida
Keys and the Gulf Coast. Officials in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida are ordering
evacuations of certain residents in low-lying areas.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has also declared a state of emergency and ordered the evacuations
along the coast beginning Saturday. Georgia, with a concave, shallow coast line, is particularly
vulnerable to storm surge, Hal Needham, a geographer and storm surge expert says. Even if Irma
degrades to a tropical storm by the time it reaches Georgia, there still can be a 10 to 12 foot
storm surge, Needham says.

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/9/5/16254872/hurricane-irma-2017-caribbean-
florida-keys-puerto-rico-wind-speed-record
Here are all the areas still in Hurricane Irma's path and when the storm could arrive

Hurricane Irma, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded, started slamming the
southeastern Caribbean islands early Wednesday as a Category 5 storm with devastating winds,
heavy rains, and catastrophic storm surges.

As of 8 a.m. ET on Monday, the tropical storm was battering northern Florida with maximum
sustained winds of 70 mph. The National Hurricane Center said the hurricane was cruising
northwest toward Georgia at 18 mph.

The NHC reports that Irma made landfall at Cudjoe Key, one of the lower Florida Keys, at 9:10
a.m. on Sunday as a Category 4 storm, and made another landfall at Marco Island, on the west
coast, at 3:35 p.m. on Sunday as a Category 3.

"There is the danger of life-threatening storm surge flooding along portions of the coasts of
Florida, Georgia and South Carolina," the NHC wrote Monday morning. "Irma is a large
hurricane, and hurricane force wind
gusts and sustained tropical-storm force winds extend far from the center."

The National Weather Service's latest forecast still has many parts of Florida, as well as most of
Georgia and South Carolina, in the storm's crosshairs.

The storm is expected to travel across Georgia on Monday, Alabama on Tuesday, and reach
Tennessee as a tropical depression by early Wednesday morning.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina,
from Bonita Beach to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line, from Jupiter Inlet to the South Santee
River, and in Lake Okeechobee.

Storm-surge warnings are in effect from South Santee River south to the Flagler/Volusia County
line, from Cape Sable northward to the Ochlockonee River, and in Tampa Bay. Those areas
could face "life-threatening inundation" from the quick rise in water caused by a hurricane's
strong winds.
While Hurricane Harvey brought devastating floods late last month, Irma's biggest threat has
been its strong winds and storm surge.

Irma is now a tropical storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which measures a hurricane's strength
based on its wind speeds. The scale goes up to 5, but if it had been extended to classify Irma's
highest sustained wind speeds of 185 mph, the storm could have been considered Category 6 at
one point. That's not an official designation, though.

Some hurricane-force gusts above 75 mph are still being reported in northern Florida. The winds
have also been churning up tornadoes, and some counties in northeast Florida and southeast
Georgia and South Carolina could face tornadoes.

Part of what makes this storm so dangerous is its sheer size hurricane-force winds still extend
up to 60 miles from Irma's center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 415 miles,
according to the NHC.

Florida's peninsula is only about 140 miles across at its widest, so Irma engulfed the entire state.

http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-irma-track-path-map-when-where-storm-arrive-
category-forecast-2017-9
Hurricane Irma Is on Track to Change the Course of Florida History

Irma, the storm that meteorologists have been nervously tracking for days, is now on the
doorstep of America's most vulnerable state. What's coming is unlike anything that's happened
there before.

As of Saturday afternoon, Irma had begun a 36-hour trek northward off the coast of Cuba, where
it made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane earlier in the day. By the time it reaches Florida, it's
expected to restrengthen and grow in size as it travels over the abnormally warm Gulf Stream
high-octane fuel for hurricanes.

Florida can't possibly defend itself against a hurricane like Irma. The storm is already a
behemoth: Its winds pack nearly 100 terajoules of energy more than the atomic bomb released
over Hiroshima, if it were continuously exploding. And, in fact, that's a good way to think about
Irma: An unnatural machine built for destroying whatever is in its path.

Irma's outsized energy output means its destructive potential is more than three times that of last
month's Hurricane Harvey, and more than six times that of 1992's Hurricane Andrew, the last
Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States. The combination of its large size and
strong winds is giving Irma a tremendous ability to push ocean water shoreward, what
meteorologists call storm surge.

Nearly 7 million people have been ordered to leave their homes across Florida the largest mass
evacuation in U.S. history. More than half a million of those are in the Tampa area, the region of
the country most prone to a colossal storm surge disaster.

Historically, storm surge is the deadliest component of any hurricane, and there's a good chance
it will be the legacy of Irma, too. Problem is, cities like Tampa now squarely in Irma's direct
path just aren't ready for a storm like this. The last major hurricane to hit Tampa was way back
in 1921, when the city had just 50,000 residents. Now, the area has more than 3 million, and is
among the fastest-growing cities in the country.
In 2010, with the help of FEMA, officials in Tampa conducted a trial run for the worst-case
scenario, called Project Phoenix: A Category 5 hurricane hitting the region head-on. The
exercise, using a fictitious storm called "Hurricane Phoenix", predicted a storm surge within
Tampa Bay of nearly 30 feet enough to utterly overwhelm the city. A half-million homes
would be destroyed, and as many as two million people would have to seek medical care. It
would be the biggest natural disaster in American history.

In May, just before the start of this year's hurricane season, a new modeling effort showed that
Project Phoenix underestimated the worst-case risk by as much as six feet. And that's not
factoring in sea level rise, which could bring another six feet in just a few decades.

For a state that would rather ignore climate change, the next two days will change the course of
Florida's history. What comes next will mean the difference between disaster and endurance
during future hurricanes.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/hurricane-irma-is-on-track-to-change-the-course-
of-florida-history-w502128
Hurricane Irma leaves the Florida Keys bowed but unbroken

In the wee hours of the morning, the cars lined up at the entrance to the Florida Keys. Police
officers from multiple agencies blocked cars, RVs, tractor trailers and trucks pulling boats from
entering the 120-mile string of tropical islands south of mainland Florida.

Highway 1 is clear from Florida City to Key West, but major debris still clutters the road
shoulders.

At 6:56 a.m., four minutes before the curfew officially lifted for the day, officers began waving
through semis loaded with FEMA supplies or loaded with heavy construction equipment. Drivers
who were able to show proof of residency in the Upper Keys were allowed to pass; others were
directed to do a U-turn.

As we traveled from Key Largo, through Islamorada, Marathon and to Key West, we saw
extensive damage on every island. Entire neighborhoods seemingly demolished. Irma's wrath
seemed to take its worst toll on mobile home developments and RV Parks.

I met a couple in Key Largo who told me of evacuating their mother from Seabreeze. The frail-
looking elderly woman in the passenger seat could only nod and hold back tears.

Across Highway 1, I met a homeowner who had escaped to Hollywood, Florida, but looked out
stunned at the damage to his property. Cars had floated in the storm surge, his boat, still
there but surrounded by debris. "I'm overwhelmed. I don't know where to start," he told me. "I
guess I'll put on my shoes."

At every stop, we saw boats wedged between houses, yachts half submerged; vessels dry-docked
by Irma right on the roadway.

Iconic tourist spots along the way looked desperately damaged. The Theater of the Sea
conservation park in Islamorada was strewn with downed palms and rubble. The Cheeca Lodge,
host to presidents, movie stars and your everyday rich-and-famous, sustained extensive wind
damage. Massive old trees toppled, blocking the road into its main building. At the pool, the
cabanas were ripped and palm fronds covered the pool deck and filled the pool. But ceiling fans
still circulated air and I could hear motors running.

"Yeah, it's probably on the main line," Neil from Wisconsin told me. He joined a convoy of
utility workers heading for Florida three days before Irma made U.S. landfall. Now, they're
sleeping in their trucks, preferring that over a dorm of sorts in the back of a semitrailer. They're
working 16 hour days alongside an army of tree trimmers to restore electricity to the island
chain.

It's one of the biggest obstacles to allowing people back in. There's limited power, fuel and
cellular service. At the Mobil Tavernier on Highway 1, the air conditioning was running, there
was gasoline at the pump and one working phone landline. The owner asked me to tell people
they could make their calls inside the mini-mart. She was offered free coffee, and storm-weary
people seemed desperate and grateful to accept it.

Leaving her station, cell service immediately ceased. AT&T and Verizon are installing portable
cellular towers. But Sprint phones are in high demand and short supply since they seemed to
supply service for much more of the Florida Keys.

In Marathon, a massive relief response is underway. The airport is open for aircraft delivering
relief supplies. Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters unloaded pallets of bottled water, where
they were then stored along a chain-link fence in the searing heat and relentless sun. Nearby the
Emergency Operations Command and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department hosted a parade
of officials, contractors, media and residents hoping to find a working phone. One working
landline was made available to the public.

Back on Highway 1, my view of gas stations was blocked by roofs that no longer sheltered gas
pumps, but instead lay at awkward angles on the ground, like some post-modern sculptures. Yet
crab traps stood stacked in their orderly rows, unfazed by a monster storm.

Newer homes constructed according to building codes since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 largely
fared well with their hurricane-resistant windows and living spaces on a second level. But as
with other parts of South Florida, the wind damage took its toll on the trees.
At the historic Hemingway House in Key West, the entrance was blocked by massive trees. The
landscaping took a big hit, but the staff told me, there was no damage to the interior.

On Duval Street, most of the bars remain boarded up, but the streets are clear, thanks to a very
small team of city public works employees and neighbors with gumption and brawn.

"We're still in search and recovery mode," a law enforcement officer told me when I flagged him
down to help a distraught woman who had just returned to her demolished home, her kitchen
exposed like a film or television set. In Spanish, she told me she doesn't even have clothes or
shoes left. She asked me where she could find FEMA.

"Not in Key West yet," the officer told me. "But the Salvation Army's here and she can get
clothes there." He immediately called in a Spanish interpreter to help communicate with the
woman.

Most of those residing in the Florida Keys evacuated, and now they're stuck at a checkpoint just
past Marathon, many pulling off to the road's shoulder, hoping at any moment, they'll be allowed
access. The estimated 4,000 who stayed in Key West are surviving on their storm rations and
public toilets.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/14/hurricane-irma-leaves-the-florida-keys-bowed-but-
unbroken.html
The End of Hurricane Irma Is in Sight, but the Recovery Is Just Beginning

The most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic is coming toward its end.

Having ploughed through several Caribbean islands and deluged Florida as a hurricane, Irma
battered the states of South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama with heavy rain on Monday.

The storm has now been downgraded to a tropical depression and is expected to peter out in the
coming days. But for the millions of people affected by Irma, it will take much longer to recover
from what is predicted to be one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.

Where is Irma going next?

According to the latest forecast from the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), issued at 5 a.m.
EDT on Tuesday, Irma is situated around 65 miles southwest of Atlanta, the Georgia state
capital. The storm is now technically a post-tropical cyclone or tropical depressionone with
wind speeds at 38 miles per hour or lessand is moving northwest at a speed of 10 mph.

Irma is expected to approach the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday afternoon, moving westward and
bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to Alabama, Tennessee and eastern Mississippi.

Does Irma still pose a threat?

Yes. While all storm surge warnings and tropical storm warnings were discontinued on Monday
night, the WPC has warned that a risk of flash flooding remains, with isolated rainfall of up to 5
inches predicted for parts of South Carolina and North Carolina. Heavy rainfall is also expected
in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky, while overloaded rivers are likely to
continue flooding across much of Florida, as well as in Georgia and eastern Alabama.

What are the state governments doing?

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal urged residents on Monday to remain sheltered until the storm
had definitively passed. State authorities have also urged evacuees from Florida, who sought
shelter in Georgia as Irma battered their home state, to wait for the green light before emptying
out onto the roads to return home.

President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Alabama and ordered federal
assistance to the state, according to a White House statement on Monday. Governor Kay Ivey
ordered certain state offices and buildings to close on Monday, while the states emergency
operations plan and National Guard had been activated since Saturday.

Whats the scale of the destruction?

The U.S. death toll for Irma has increased to 11 people after three deaths were reported in
Georgia and one in South Carolina. At least seven people were killed in Florida by the storm,
which made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday. Across the Caribbean, more
than 30 people were killed by Irma, including 10 in Cuba, state authorities announced on
Monday.

As the storm has battered power lines, millions of customers have been left without electricity.
Florida is the worst-affected state, with 5.7 million customers currently without electricity,
according to FloridaDisaster.org. That is almost half of all power accounts in the state.

How long will the recovery take?

Officials are predicting a long road to recovery for the states affected by Irma, particularly
Florida. The damage in Florida is actually less than some insurers predictedmost put it in the
range of tens of billions of dollars, rather than the hundreds of billions that many fearedas the
storm skirted around some of the states most densely populated areas, such as Miami.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, who flew over the Florida Keys on Monday, said he didnt see the
damage I thought I would see and that storm surges had not been as bad as expected. But Scott
emphasized that returning the millions of Floridians evacuated to their homes would be a long
process. I just hope everybody survived.... Its horrible what we saw. Especially for the
[Florida] Keys, its going to be a long road, said Scott, according to the Associated Press.
Some of the Caribbean islands hit by Irma have been largely destroyed. The prime minister of
Antigua and Barbuda said 90 percent of buildings and vehicles on Barbuda were damaged; on
the French side of St. Martin, 70 percent of the beds at the main hospital were left heavily
damaged; and officials in two of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. John, are
encouraging families to send children to school on another island, St. Croix, while educational
facilities are closed indefinitely, according to local media.

Richard Branson, the chief executive of Virgin, has called for a Marshall Plan to help the region
recover from the devastation of Irma. The Marshall Plan was a U.S. initiative to rebuild Western
Europe at the conclusion of World War II, which saw Washington give over $12 billion to aid
Europes recovery.

http://www.newsweek.com/hurricane-irma-latest-death-toll-florida-663354