Hurricane Irma Prompts State Of Emergency In Florida

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has declared a statewide emergency in response to Hurricane Irma, a roiling storm that intensified into “an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane” while it churned toward the United States. Even as millions across Texas are reeling from the impact of Hurricane Harvey, which battered that region with record-setting rain and was blamed for at least 60 deaths, Irma continues to intensify and prompt increasingly alarming forecasts. The National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning that Irma had become a Category 5 storm, with NOAA Hurricane Hunters reporting maximum wind speeds of 175 mph — making it among the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Capital Weather Gang.