It is too early to know if Hurricane Irma will impact the continental United States.
It is too early to know if Hurricane Irma will impact the continental United States as the category 3 storm approaches the northern Caribbean islands, the National Weather Service said Sunday.
The agency cautioned that residents of the northeastern Leeward Islands should prepare for the “major hurricane” with winds nearing 115 mph by the middle of the coming week. A direct hit on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands was also possible later in the week.
The likelihood of direct impact on Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Bahamas was also increasing, the Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said.
“It is too early to determine what direct impacts Irma might have on the continental United States. Regardless, everyone in hurricane-prone areas should ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place, ” the agency said.
Storm Tracker: Follow Hurricane Irma’s path
The storm is approaching the Caribbean less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, devastating Houston and the surrounding region.
