Reports: Irma inundates Jacksonville, Florida, with record-shattering flooding
Irma has left over 6 million without power in Florida as the storm continues to bring life-threatening storm surge and powerful winds.
At least three people have died in the storm in the United States. Two law enforcement officers were in a fatal car accident on Sunday; the third person was in a single-vehicle accident in Orange County, Florida.
Irma made a second Florida landfall at Marco Island, Florida, on Sunday. The storm tore across the Florida Keys early Sunday morning. Irma weakened to a tropical storm on Monday morning over eastern Florida after a 12-day stretch at hurricane strength.
President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration for Florida.
This is the first year that two Atlantic Basin hurricanes have made landfall at Category 4 strength in the U.S. in one season since records began in 1851.
Irma prompted the largest evacuation in U.S. history, taking 7 million out of their homes. More than 30 percent of Florida's entire population were asked to evacuate.
Click here to see previous reports of Irma's damaging impacts.
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2:14 p.m. EDT Monday: Flights may resume on Tuesday with limited schedules at Miami International Airport after damage and security assessments are conducted to the the airport's facility and infrastructure.
Miami officials announced that curfew in the city would continue tonight starting from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday.
At a Monday press conference, Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez told residents it's not safe to return yet and urged patience.
Access to the city of Miami Beach remains closed to the public as crews work to clear roadways. City offices and services also remain closed.
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1:45 p.m. EDT Monday: Urban search and rescue teams from St. Johns County Fire Rescue in Florida are finding numerous homes that have been damaged throughout the county.
St. Johns County is located south of Jacksonville.
Dangerous conditions still persist around Jacksonville so law enforcement officials are urging residents to stay indoors.
A home collapsed into the ocean along South Ponte Vedra Boulevad in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida as Irma pounded northern Florida Monday. (Photo/St. Johns County Fire Rescue)
(Photo/St. Johns County Fire Rescue)
(St. Johns County Fire Rescue)
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1:10 p.m. EDT Monday: Charleston County, South Carolina, is suspending all EMS operations due to sustained winds of more than 40 mph.
The Charleston Police Department has announced that many roads are closed around town due to flooding.
A flash flood emergency has been declared for Charleston County and travel is not advised.
The South Carolina Ports Authority announced it will cease all operations in Charleston at 2 p.m. Monday. Normal operations are expected to resume Tuesday morning.
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12:39 p.m. EDT Monday: A new flash flood emergency has been issued for the St. Johns river basin from Putnam County to downtown Jacksonville.
A tornado warning is currently in affect for parts of South Carolina, including Charleston.
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11:43 a.m. EDT Monday: The tidal height at Fort Pulaski, South Carolina, along the Savannah River is forecast to reach a new record height of 14.26 feet.
(Image/National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service)
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10:44 a.m. EDT Monday: As Irma's winds and rain move into Georgia, tree damage is being reported as far inland as Rome, Atlanta and Augusta.
Rough seas and some coastal flooding have also occurred in Charleston, South Carolina. A 72-mph wind gust was reported near Charleston at Folly Beach Pier. Folly Beach Pier is about 270 miles away from Irma's center.
The National Weather Service in Charleston is warning residents to avoid the downtown area as water levels rise.
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10 a.m. EDT Monday: The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is ordering residents in evacuation zones near the St. Johns River to leave the area immediately as floodwaters continue to rise.
Severe flooding inundated many streets in the Jacksonville area on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (Photo/Joe Gaskin)
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9:18 a.m. EDT Monday: Footage obtained by News4JAX shows a home crumbling in Vilano Beach, as Irma pounded Florida Monday.
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8:03 a.m. EDT Monday: Irma has been downgraded to a tropical storm but is still producing some wind gusts to near hurricane force, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Irma's maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 70 mph. The storm is expected to cross the eastern Florida Panhandle into southern Georgia by Monday afternoon.
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7:13 a.m. EDT Monday: Jacksonville is getting hit hard with storm surge flooding Monday morning. A new all-time record was set downtown along the St. Johns River at Main Street Bridge.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is urging resident to avoid driving due to unsafe conditions.
A swift water rescue was reported in waist deep water at 1646 W. 45th Street at the Hilltop Apartments complex.
(Image/National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service)
The National Hurricane Center issued a Flash Flood Emergency for areas near the St. Johns River in Jacksonville through 12:45 p.m. EDT Monday, as water levels are expected to rise another couple of feet.
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6:12 a.m. EDT Monday: At least 5.7 million are now without power in Florida.
Officials continue to remind residents not to go outside until local personnel deem it safe:
<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wait for direction from local officials before returning to evacuated areas. Storm impacts can continue well after the center passes.</p>— Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLGovScott/status/907184107951726593">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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5:10 a.m. EDT Monday: The number of people without power in Florida continues to grow. Florida SERT says over 4.2 million people are without electricity.
Hurricane Irma is moving north-northwest at 18 mph. It has sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm is currently about 60 miles north of Tampa and 64 northwest of Orlando. Tropical storm force winds will move through southern Georgia throughout Monday.
A roof was reportedly blown off in Duval County, Florida, early this morning due to the high winds.
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4:00 a.m. EDT Monday: A wind gust of 86 mph was recorded in Jacksonville as Hurricane Irma continues to track northward. The center of the storm is about 90 miles south of Gainesville, Florida, 25 miles northeast of Tampa and 50 miles southwest of Orlando.
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3:00 a.m. EDT Monday: Over 4 million are now without electricity in Florida. Florida's State Emergency Response Team (SERT) says 41 percent of the state is affected with 4,068,896 customers without power.
Up to 4 foot storm surge has been reported near the Florida-Georgia border at Fernandina Beach. Elsewhere, surge up to 2 feet was measured over the sea wall in Palm Coast. In Lakeland, which is inland from Tampa, 19 inches of water have been reported inside homes.
A utility pole fell on a Polk County Sheriff car with a medic and a sheriff inside during Hurricane Irma overnight. No injuries were reported. (Twitter/@LakelandPD)
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2:00 a.m. EDT Monday: As Hurricane Irma is downgraded to a Category 1 storm, nearly 4 million people are without power. Between Florida Power and Light, Orlando Utility and Tampa Electric, the total number of customers without electricity has reached 3,943,311.
Miami International Airport will be closed on Monday after suffering from severe water damage. No word yet on when they'll be able to reopen.
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1:05 a.m. EDT Monday:Miami-Dade Police say they've made 28 arrests for looting and burglary. Curfew is in effect across the county until 7 a.m.
One person reportedly died in a car accident in Orange County, according to CNN. The accident happened along State Road 417; law enforcement said the victim was dead by the time they arrived.
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12:50 a.m. EDT Monday: A number of Alabama school districts will be closed early this week as Hurricane Irma tracks northward. They include Birmingham City Schools, Huntsville City Schools, Montgomery Public Schools and Auburn City Schools. Huntsville is the only one to only close Monday; the other three districts will be closed into Tuesday.
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11:30 p.m. EDT Sunday: A tree fell on an apartment building in Lacochee, Florida, displacing eight people. No injuries were reported.
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11:10 p.m. EDT Sunday:Florida SERT says almost 3.5 million customers in the state are without power.
Still a strong Category 2 hurricane, Irma is currently producing 100 mph sustained winds and flooding rainfall. It is expected to weaken slowly as it treks northward through the night.
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10:40 p.m. EDT Sunday: A roof was partially ripped off of an apartment building in Palm Beach County earlier this afternoon, forcing about 60 residents to evacuate. The incident happened shortly after first responders said they would no longer be able to answer emergency calls. However, firefighters decided to help the residents of Stonybrook Apartments as rain began to flood the apartments.
10:10 p.m. EDT Sunday: A third construction crane collapsed in Florida, this time in Fort Lauderdale. No major injuries or damage has been reported, according to the AP.
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9:50 p.m. EDT Sunday: The City of Miami Beach released a statement regarding cleanup efforts after the storm. A curfew will remain in place for Miami-Dade County from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday morning. No cars are permitted in the City of Miami Beach until 12 p.m. Tuesday.
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9:15 p.m. EDT Sunday: According to the Associated Press, more than 3.3 million homes and businesses have lost power in Florida as Hurricane Irma continues to move up the peninsula.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has said state offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12.
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9:00 p.m. EDT Sunday: Flights in Tallahassee have come to a halt and will not resume until Monday night.
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8:50 p.m. EDT Sunday: The City of Venice has shut off the water at its plant, meaning no running water is available for the city's customers. Officials say there appears to be a water main break somewhere in the system, and crews are waiting for the storm to abate to fix it. Customers will be under a boil water advisory for 48 hours after it is repaired.
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7:45 p.m. EDT Sunday: These are the highest wind gusts reported from Irma in Florida through 6 p.m. Sunday:
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7:30 p.m. EDT Sunday: Hurricane Irma seems to have brought this alligator to downtown Melbourne, Florida. Many animals could be in unlikely areas due to the storm.
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7:00 p.m. EDT Sunday: Reed Timmer is safe and out of harm's way. He does not have a way to communicate due to poor cellphone service.
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6:30 p.m. EDT Sunday: Debris has fallen from buildings in Miami, Florida.
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6:17 p.m. EDT Sunday: There are reports of looting taking place in South Florida as Irma pounds the area. Several arrests have been made.
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5:50 p.m. EDT Sunday: Two law enforcement officers were killed in South Florida in a vehivle accident during Hurricane Irma, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
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5:30 p.m. EDT Sunday: Due to quickly receding water, two manatees were reportedly caught in the extremely low tide created by Hurricane Irma.
The low pressure is causing water around the hurricane to recede from the shoreline.
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5:00 p.m. EDT Sunday: Irma has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane after a second landfall over Marco Island, Florida.
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4:50 p.m. EDT Sunday: Strong winds are picking up in Naples, Florida, as the eye wall passes over the area.
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