Hurricane Irma now a Category 5 storm as it heads for land

As Texas and Louisiana continue to reel from the devastating impact of Harvey, an even stronger hurricane is causing alarm as it rapidly gathers force on its approach toward the Caribbean islands.

Hurricane Irma was upgraded to a Category 5 storm Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (281 kph) expected as it moves toward the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Tuesday. The “extremely dangerous” hurricane is forecast to pass over or near the northern Leeward Islands as early as the end of Tuesday, and on current modeling, could veer north toward the U.S. mainland later in the week.

Harvey was a Category 4 storm, and had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (209 kph) before it made landfall in Texas.

While Irma’s exact path can’t be known, Florida is already bracing for the worst. Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency Monday, saying the move was necessary to ensure the authorities had enough “time, resources, and flexibility to get prepared for this dangerous storm.”

“In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared,” Perry said in a statement.

Irma, last reported at about 270 miles (440 km) east of Antigua, is forecast to hit the Leeward Island group by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, bringing storm surges, torrential rain, and dangerous winds. Irma is moving at a speed of 14 mph (22 kph), and is predicted to raise normal water levels by up to 11 feet (3.3 meters) in parts of the Leeward Islands, and bring large, destructive waves with it.

In response to the approaching storm, warnings have been issued throughout the West Indies, alerting residents that hurricane conditions are expected in the next 36 hours. The National Hurricane Center advised Tuesday that “preparations should be rushed to completion in the hurricane warning area” as the storm gathered strength.

In Puerto Rico, a state of emergency has been declared, with the National Guard activated, schools closed, and emergency shelters for 62,000 people opened.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricard Rossello warned of power outages and flooding, and long lines were reported in stores as residents rushed to stockpile essentials ahead of the storm.

Ronald Jackson, head of the Caribbean disaster emergency management agency, said authorities were viewing Irma as “a very significant event.” “I can’t recall a tropical cone developing that rapidly into a major hurricane prior to arriving in the central Caribbean,” Jackson said.

Category 5, the strongest rating on the Saffir-Simpson scale, signifies sustained winds exceeding 156 mph (251 kph) with potentially “catastrophic” outcomes – causing water and electricity outages, toppling trees and power lines, and rendering property uninhabitable.