11 AM EDT
Location — 80 miles SSE of Naples, Florida
Maximum sustained winds — 130 mph
Movement — north northwest at 9 mph
Minimum Central Pressure — 933 mb
Expected Storm Surge
Cape Sable to Captiva — 10 to 15 ft
Captiva to Ana Maria Island — 6 to 10 ft
Card Sound Bridge through Cape Sable, including the Florida Keys — 5 to 10 ft
Ana Maria Island to Clearwater Beach, including Tampa Bay — 5 to 8 ft
North Miami Beach to Card Sound Bridge, including Biscayne Bay — 3 to 5 ft
South Santee River to Fernandina Beach — 4 to 6 ft
Clearwater Beach to Ochlockonee River — 4 to 6 ft
Fernandina Beach to Jupiter Inlet — 2 to 4 ft
North of North Miami Beach to Jupiter Inlet — 1 to 2 ft
The eye of Hurricane Irma has crossed the Florida Keys and is now moving toward the area of Naples, Florida at 9mph. The storm left Cuba with winds at 120 mph, but it recovered some strength and winds are holding at 130 mph as Irma moves on toward the Florida Gulf Coast. Even though the storm is on the west side of the peninsula surge, wind and rain are affecting Miami and other cities on the southeast side of Florida. At least 1 foot of water is in the streets of Miami beach, with more expected.
But what the Gulf side is facing is sure to be worse. In the latest update, the predicted path of the storm has shifted back to the east by a few miles, putting Naples directly in the path of the eye.
Earlier predictions had Irma skirting the coast and making landfall near Sarasota or St. Petersburg. The latest track has moved the storm slightly east, putting it on a path to strike between Naples and Cape Coral around 5 PM EDT. Tamp / St. Petersburg still look to take a direct hit.
Over 1.4 million people in Florida are currently without power. Conditions in the Keys are very sketchy at the moment. The effects of the storm on the area should be better known in the next few hours. Storm surge along the Gulf Coast extends significantly inland, affecting bays, rivers, streams and canals.