Hurricane Irma made landfall on the Camaguey Archipelago of Cuba Friday evening, close to Playa Santa Lucia. This was the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in Cuba since 1924.

The center of Irma has continued moving northwest along the northern coast of Cuba through early Saturday afternoon.

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"Given this track and the strength of Irma, part of Cuba’s northern coast has likely sustained catastrophic damage. Farther inland across Cuba, away from the coast, rainbands from Irma have caused flooding," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root said.

A wind gust to 159 mph (256 km/h) was reported at a weather station in Ciego de Avila, Cuba, early Sunday.

A woman and child use a blanket as protection from wind and rain as they walk in Caibarien, Cuba, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Hurricane Irma battered Cuba on Saturday with deafening winds and unremitting rain, pushing seawater inland and flooding homes before taking aim at Florida. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan)

"Turks and Caicos experienced some of the worst conditions from Irma Thursday night into Friday since the eye passed so close to the south," Root said.

Extreme winds in excess of 150 mph battered the islands. The strong winds also drove a very high and dangerous storm surge into the islands.

As of 7 p.m. EDT Friday, at least 20 fatalities have been blamed on Irma, with fears that the number could climb as communications improve in the Turks and Caicos and Cuba.

At least 10 people in Cuba killed by Hurricane #Irma, officials say

Latest: https://t.co/UdD3BRzou2 pic.twitter.com/79u3xDGcXm
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 11, 2017

People move through flooded streets in Havana after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. The powerful storm ripped roofs off houses, collapsed buildings and flooded hundreds of miles of coastline after cutting a trail of destruction across the Caribbean. Cuban officials warned residents to watch for even more flooding over the next few days. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Parts of Havana, Cuba are flooded after hurricane #Irma hit as a Cat 5. No deaths reported in Cuba, more flooding expected in coming days. pic.twitter.com/WJGkoCX76a
— AJ+ (@ajplus) September 10, 2017

#Irma update 1: Storm slams into Turks and Caicos after carving path thru Caribbean. 14 dead. So far. https://t.co/i8awURDwlZ pic.twitter.com/a14r2YnUMT
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) September 8, 2017

Residents watch the ocean waves crash into the water front, after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. The powerful storm ripped roofs off houses, collapsed buildings and flooded hundreds of miles of coastline after cutting a trail of destruction across the Caribbean. Cuban officials warned residents to watch for even more flooding over the next few days. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Hurricane Irma slams Turks and Caicos on path to Florida https://t.co/MvQ3YNH1hv pic.twitter.com/5HqAlBEKaZ
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) September 8, 2017

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