The Latest on Irma (all times local) :
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The Latest on Irma (all times local) :
10: 20 a.m.
Tropical storm Irma is drenching the Georgia coast, and forecasters say flooding is a serious threat.
Downtown Savannah was getting soaked Monday morning, with winds just strong enough to rustle treetops and shake small branches onto the roads. Impacts from the storm were expected throughout the day.
The National Weather Service said the threat of storm surge had decreased Monday along Georgia’s 100 miles (160 kilometers) of coast, but flooding rains could still cause swollen rivers, streams and creeks to overflow.
Irma was forecast to cross the Georgia-Florida line Monday afternoon. Though downgraded to a tropical storm, its winds reached up to 415 miles (668 kilometers) from the center.
Georgia Power said more than 125,000 customers were without powers across Georgia’s six coastal counties.
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10: 00 a.m.
Firefighters on one of South Carolina’s largest barrier islands are now staying inside until the worst weather from Tropical Storm Irma passes.
Hilton Head Island said on Twitter that it suspended emergency operations at 9 a.m. Monday until the winds and storm surge subside. They say they will only go on calls if a supervisor allows them because conditions are too dangerous.
The island of 42,000 people is under an evacuation order. Forecasters warn wind gusts around 60 mph (95 kph) and storm surge of up to 6 feet (2 meters) are possible later Monday.
Similar storm surge and winds gusts are possible up to coast to Charleston too.
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9: 45 a.m.
Actress Kristen Bell says she’s “singing in a hurricane” while riding out Irma in Florida.
The “Frozen” star is in Orlando filming a movie and staying at a hotel at the Walt Disney World resort. She stopped by an Orlando middle school that was serving as a shelter and belted out songs from “Frozen.”
Back at the hotel, Bell posted pictures on Instagram of her singing with one guest and dining with a group of seniors.
Bell also helped out the parents of “Frozen” co-star Josh Gad by securing them a room at the hotel.
Bell tells Sacramento, California, station KMAX-TV – where her father is news director – that the experience is her version of one of her favorite movies, “Singin’ in the Rain.”
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9: 30 a.m.
People are being rescued from flooded homes Monday morning south of Jacksonville, Florida, as Tropical Storm Irma pounds the state with rain and wind.
John Ward, the emergency operations manager of Clay County, says crews have pulled 46 people from flooded homes by early Monday and an undetermined number are still stranded as the area’s creeks and ponds are getting record flooding.
Ward says between 400 and 500 homes received severe flood damage but there have been no serious injuries or deaths.
Irma weakened to a tropical storm Monday morning, a day after hitting the state as a powerful Category 4 hurricane.
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9: 05 a.m.
An Atlanta airport official says there’ve been around 800 cancellations due to the threat of Irma, which weakened to a tropical storm Monday morning.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport spokesman Andrew Gobeil says the airport will still be operational Monday and will monitor storm conditions.
Gobeil says the airport created an overflow parking plan to allow planes unable to land in areas such as Florida to park at the airport in Atlanta.
Also in Atlanta, the city’s transit system has suspended all bus and rail service ahead of the weather conditions caused by Irma.
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority spokesman Erik Burton says both systems will be closed for Monday. He says officials will continue to coordinate with state and local officials along with emergency personnel to determine MARTA’s service schedule for Tuesday.
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9: 05 a.m.
Much of central Florida, including Orlando, suffered significant damage as Irma blew through Sunday night and into Monday morning.
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said Monday morning that there’s been widespread damage and significant power loss throughout the area.
Jacobs said approximately 300,000 residents in Orlando are without power. She also said 60 percent of the fire stations are operating on backup generators and dispatchers received 1,381 calls between Sunday at midnight and 5: 45 a.m. Monday morning.
Residents are being asked to minimize usage such as flushing toilets, bathing, along with washing dishes and laundry.
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8: 30 a.m.
Irma is causing record-setting flooding in Jacksonville, Florida, as it moves over the state Monday on its way to southern Georgia.
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville says storm surge flooding exceeds the record set in 1965 during Hurricane Dora.
The city on Florida’s northeastern Atlantic coast remains under a flash flood warning until 12: 45 p.m. Monday.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s officials warned residents not to drive through standing water, adding that in addition to flooding, there are trees and power lines down across the area.
Irma weakened to a tropical storm Monday morning, a day after hitting the state as a Category 4 hurricane.
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8: 30 a.m.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott says there’s damage across the state caused by Hurricane Irma and it’s still too dangerous for residents to go outside or return from evacuation.
Scott said Monday on Fox News that he’s concerned about flooding now unfolding in Jacksonville and the amount of damage in the Florida Keys. The governor will be flying out of Mobile, Alabama, on a U. S. Coast Guard plane down to the Keys where he plans to inspect the extent of the damage there.
Local officials in the Keys on Sunday warned of a humanitarian crisis due to Irma’s winds and storm surge.
Scott asked Floridians to be patient and warned that roads are impassable and that there are downed power lines.
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8: 30 a.m.
Two children evacuated from Florida as Hurricane Irma approached have been killed in separate car crashes in Georgia.
News outlets report Woodstock police say 3-month-old Riley Hunt of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was struck by an SUV driven by a 17-year-old girl Saturday night and was later pronounced dead. DeKalb County police say an 11-year-old boy who was also traveling from Florida to Georgia was hit and killed by a car early Monday in Stone Mountain.
The identity of the boy hasn’t been released, and the cause of the crash is currently unknown.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office says Hunt’s mother, 28-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt, and 61-year-old Kathy Deming were also hit and are listed in critical condition. The incident remains under investigation. No charges had been filed.
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8 a.m.
Irma has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves over Florida toward southern Georgia.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds decreased Monday morning to near 70 mph (110 kph) . The U. S. National Hurricane Center says it’s expected to weaken to a tropical depression by Tuesday afternoon.
Irma is centered about 105 miles (170 kilometers) north-northwest of Tampa, Florida, and is moving north-northwest near 18 mph (30 kph) .
Irma hit southern Florida on Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing roof-ripping winds, gushing floodwaters and widespread power outages.
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7: 45 a.m.
The National Guard and local fire rescue teams evacuated more than 120 flooding homes in Orange County, just outside Orlando, as Hurricane Irma moves over Florida.
Trees and power lines were down across town and floods cut off roads to a neighborhood.
As the sun rose in Orlando, many tried to go outside to survey the damage, but authorities warn that conditions remain dangerous and ask that people to abide by the curfew that lasts throughout most of the day.
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7: 45 a.m.
Winds and rain from Hurricane Irma have moved into South Carolina and officials are warning residents to be very careful throughout the day.
A hurricane watch is in effect Monday from Edisto Beach into Florida. A storm surge warning and a tropical storm warning are in effect from near Georgetown into Florida.
A flash flood warning is in effect along the southern coast of South Carolina, where more than 40,000 were ordered to evacuate barrier islands.
The storm surge could reach 6 feet (2 meters) , especially from late morning to mid-afternoon. Up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain is also possible.
Wind gusts of up to 60 mph (97 kph) are expected along the South Carolina coast. Forecasters say tornadoes are also possible.
South Carolina Electric & Gas reported more than 13,000 customers without service Monday morning.
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7: 45 a.m.
The European Union says it has released 2 million euros ($2.4 million) to help the Caribbean islands hit hardest by Hurricane Irma.
EU’s humanitarian aid commissioner, Christos Stylianides, announced the assistance Monday, saying the money will go to key sectors such as health, water and sanitation and waste management.
The EU has already been involved in the emergency relief effort, and Stylianides said the bloc stands ready to provide longer-term assistance as well. He called it “our moral duty to help those in need whose lives and homes are being destroyed or severely threatened.”
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7: 10 a.m.
Nearly 4.5 million homes and businesses across Florida have lost power as Hurricane Irma moves over the state.
And utility officials say it will take weeks to restore electricity to everyone.
