CARIBBEAN ISLANDS/FLORIDA
A new hurricane threat for the Caribbean, and potentially Florida or elsewhere along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, emerged just days after Texas and Louisiana were slammed by Hurricane Harvey. As many in the U.S. were celebrating a long Labor Day weekend, Hurricane Irma strengthened over the Atlantic Ocean.
Now a Category 5 storm, with maximum winds nearing 185 miles per hour, Hurricane Irma is expected to make landfall as early as late Tuesday or early Wednesday in Antigua and Barbuda. Puerto Rico could begin to feel the impact of the storm by Wednesday afternoon and much of the Caribbean is on high alert.
According to The New York Times, Florida is “also increasingly likely to feel Irma’s effects later this week and during the weekend, though the storm’s potential impact on the state is not yet clear.” USA Today reported that cruise ships were changing their routes or returning to port early in advance of the Category 4-5 storm.
Gov. Rick Scott of Florida declared a state of emergency on Monday for the state’s 67 counties. Flights between Miami and destinations in the Caribbean were canceled, with the potential for more cancellations incoming.
Stay tuned to the Meetings Today website for more updates as they become available. As many news outlets have reported, the path of Hurricane Irma is still unclear, but safety precautions should be taken.
