Free Republic

The entire Florida Peninsula and points north are poised to experience Hurricane Irma after the storm hugged Cuba's northern coastline. Thousands of Floridians who evacuated the Atlantic cost to Gulf Coast areas found their safe shelter under direct threat from Hurricane Irma as the forecast shifted W Friday night and Saturday. Hurricane Irma's prolonged interaction with Cuba diminished its strength to Category 3. Irma is forecast to increase in strength as it crosses the FL Straits. The Florida Keys experienced strong outer bands while Irma grazed the N Cuba coastline. Mash image to find lots of satellite imagery linksPublic AdvisoriesNHC...

The killer storm — responsible so far for 25 deaths across he Caribbean — is expected to pummel the Florida Keys early Sunday, then slam Fort Myers, Naples and Tampa with 130-mph winds and drenching rain.Coastal water could rise up to 15 feet — flooding homes and businesses, forecasters warned. “In the FLORIDA KEYS, it is a full-scale hurricane emergency,” The Weather Channel’s Bryan Norcross posted to Facebook. “Key West is probably going to get its worst storm in modern history, and perhaps ever.” And Miami isn’t in the clear either. While the state’s largerst metro region is out of...