Irma has passed over Florida causing at least four deaths, and leaving 5.8 million people — or more than half those in the state — without electricity. On Monday, the Category 5 hurricane, which broke several records, was downgraded to Category 1 and is now a tropical storm after spending the weekend blowing over Florida. It hit the Florida Keys early Sunday morning with winds of 130 minds per hour. Two hours later, it made landfall at Cudjoe Key, an island in the Lower Keys.
Irma leaves 5.8 million in Florida without power as it heads toward Atlanta
The storm has been downgraded to Category 1
The storm has been downgraded to Category 1
Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images
According to Florida officials, shelters were open in 64 of Florida’s 67 counties, holding 155,000 people. About 58 percent of the state’s customers didn’t have electricity as of Monday morning.
Now, Irma’s winds have slowed to about 75 miles per hour. Still, the National Hurricane Center is warning people that the rain could still cause very dangerous flash floods.
The storm is expected to continue weakening, and is now headed north toward Georgia and Alabama, leading to Atlanta’s first-ever tropical storm warning.
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