‘Extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Irma heads toward US: 5 things to know along SC coast

Hurricane Irma has strengthened to an “extremely dangerous” Category 5 hurricane, showing no signs of weakening soon as it churns towards the northern Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm, now being called the strongest ever measured in the Atlantic basin, could make landfall in Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas later this weekend or early next week, meteorologists at the National Weather Service report.

The latest on Irma’s track

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Irma was located 135 miles east-southeast of Barbuda, sporting maximum sustained winds of 185 mph as it moved west at speeds of 15 mph.

Tropical weather track

Reload page every few hours for the latest tracking information.

 

Source: National Hurricane Center

The extremely dangerous core of Irma is forecast to move over portions of the northern Leeward Islands Tuesday evening and early Wednesday.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Puerto Rico and more than a dozen Caribbean islands, including the U.S. Virgin Islands.

How powerful is Irma?

Irma is already the strongest hurricane ever recorded outside the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center reports.

The NHC describes a Category 5 hurricane damage as:

“A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.”

How will Irma affect the U.S.?

It is still too early to determine Irma’s track and potential effects on the U.S. East Coast, depending on whether the storm tracks east or west of Florida and if the storm makes landfall in the next few days.

Weather service forecasters are “fairly confident” the storm will shift northward sometime this week, but uncertain as to when the northward turn would occur, weather service meteorologist Doug Berry said Tuesday.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency Monday evening to prepare for the storm as the National Hurricane Center in Miami forecasts the storm to track near the south end of Florida by Sunday morning.

While it’s still too early to determine how Irma will affect South Carolina, the weather service warns that powerful swells generated by Irma will reach beaches in Beaufort County starting Tuesday and increase the chance for rip currents.

Two scenarios for South Carolina

The weather service urges anyone on the South Carolina and Georgia coasts to have a hurricane plan in place and to closely monitor the forecast over the next week as there is an “increasing risk” for Irma affecting the South Carolina coast from this weekend into early next week.

The “worst-case scenario” for the South Carolina coast would be if Irma takes a northern turn later this week and hugs the Florida coast as a major hurricane, Berry said. In that case, meteorologists said a hurricane would likely hit the area sometime early next week.

“It’s important to note that the forecast is uncertain once you look past five days ahead, so be prepared for all scenarios,” Berry said.

The storm could also track up the west coast of Florida, in which case the chances of seeing a hurricane would decrease, but tornadoes, strong winds, and flooding still threaten South Carolina coast.

The Washington Post reports that since Sunday, models have generally shifted westward, threatening the Gulf of Mexico coast of Florida more than the East Coast.

Where to find updates and how to prepare

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office’s Emergency Management Division will hold a press conference on Hurricane Irma preparation on Wednesday. The sheriff’s office urges residents to sign up for NIXLE alerts ahead of the storm here.

Here’s a Lowcountry hurricane preparedness guide with all the information you need for preparing for a hurricane.

Check back with the Island Packet as we continue to report on this storm throughout the week.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 9:33 AM with the headline "‘Extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Irma heads toward US: 5 things to know along SC coast."