Hurricane Irma strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Tuesday as it continues along a path which could strike the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida, where evacuation orders are being issued in several southern counties. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reports that Irma has sustained winds of 185 miles per hour and is currently approaching the Caribbean islands.
The AP predicts that Irma’s eye will pass 50 miles from Puerto Rico today before potentially impacting Florida later in the week. Considered one of the strongest Atlantic storms in history, the Hurricane Center described Irma as "potentially catastrophic." “This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the East Coast. It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of [Hurricane] Harvey,” Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather, said in a statement.
Source: The Washington Post