The fastest sustained winds I saw for H. Irma were 88 m.p.h. in Naples. It looks like NHC really overestimated Irma’s strength as it approached Florida. That’s not to say that 88 m.p.h. winds aren’t dangerous or can’t cause widespread damage. Many homes in Naples will undoubtedly need new roofs after the storm, and the electricity outages are very real. It’s just another example of the NHC inflating wind speeds (claiming sustained winds up to 130 m.p.h.) to generate fear and alarm. The public is best served by accurate information, not alarmist information.
we shall see... they said Harvey was a non-event too in the beginning.
In any case, all this water has to go somewhere!