Now a tropical storm, Irma hits Florida with wind, flooding
MIAMI — Authorities sent an aircraft carrier and other Navy ships to help with search-and-rescue operations in Florida on Monday as a flyover of the hurricane-battered Keys yielded what the governor said were scenes of devastation.
“I just hope everyone survived,” Gov. Rick Scott said.
He said boats were cast ashore, water, sewers and electricity were knocked out, and “I don’t think I saw one trailer park where almost everything wasn’t overturned.” Authorities also struggled to clear the single highway connecting the string of islands to the mainland.
The Keys felt Irma’s full fury when the storm blew ashore as a Category 4 hurricane Sunday morning with 130 mph (209 kph) winds. How many people in the dangerously exposed, low-lying islands defied evacuation orders and stayed behind was unclear.
As Irma weakened into a tropical storm and finally left Florida on Monday after a run up the entire 400-mile length of the state, the full scale of its destruction was still unknown, in part because of cutoff communications and blocked roads. Monday night, the storm had weakened to a tropical depression near Columbus, Georgia.
Six deaths in Florida have been blamed on Irma, along with three in Georgia and one in South Carolina. At least 35 people were killed in the Caribbean.
Statewide, an estimated 13 million people, or two-thirds of Florida’s population, remained without power. That’s more than the population of New York and Los Angeles combined. Officials warned it could take weeks for electricity to be restored to everyone.
More than 180,000 people huddled in shelters in the Sunshine State.
“How are we going to survive from here?” asked Gwen Bush, who waded through thigh-deep floodwaters outside her central Florida home to reach National Guard rescuers and get a ride to a shelter. “What’s going to happen now? I just don’t know.”
The governor said it was way too early to put a dollar estimate on the damage.
During its march up Florida’s west coast, Irma swamped homes, uprooted trees, flooded streets, snapped miles of power lines and toppled construction cranes.
In a parting shot, it triggered severe flooding around Jacksonville in the state’s northeastern corner. It also spread misery into Georgia and South Carolina as it moved inland with winds at 50 mph, causing flooding and power outages.
Around the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, where Irma rolled through early Monday, damage appeared modest. And the governor said damage on the southwest coast, including in Naples and Fort Myers, was not as bad as feared. In the Keys, though, he said “there is devastation.”
“It’s horrible, what we saw,” Scott said. “I know for our entire state, especially the Keys, it’s going to be a long road.”
He said the Navy dispatched the USS Iwo Jima, USS New York and the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to help with search and rescue and other relief efforts.
Emergency managers in the islands declared on Monday “the Keys are not open for business” and warned that there was no fuel, electricity, running water or cell service and that supplies were low and anxiety high.
“HELP IS ON THE WAY,” they promised on Facebook.
The Keys are linked by 42 bridges that have to be checked for safety before motorists can be allowed in, officials said. The governor said the route also needs to be cleared of debris and sand, but should be usable fairly quickly.
In the Jacksonville area, close to the Georgia line, storm surge brought some of the worst flooding ever seen there, with at least 46 people pulled from swamped homes.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office warned residents along the St. Johns River to “Get out NOW.”
“If you need to get out, put a white flag in front of your house. A t-shirt, anything white,” the office said on its Facebook page. “Search and rescue teams are ready to deploy.”
A tornado spun off by Irma was reported on the Georgia coast, and firefighters inland had to rescue several people after trees fell on their homes.
A tropical storm warning was issued for the first time ever in Atlanta, and school was canceled in communities around the state. More than 1.5million customers were without power Monday night in Georgia.
Over the next two days, Irma is expected to push to the northwest, into Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
People in the heavily populated Tampa-St. Petersburg area had braced for the first direct hit from a major hurricane since 1921. But by the time Irma arrived in the middle of the night Monday, its winds were down to 100 mph (161 kph) or less.
“When that sun came out this morning and the damage was minimal, it became a good day,” said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
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Ferguson reported from Jacksonville. Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Terry Spencer in Palm Beach County; Gary Fineout and Joe Reedy in Tallahassee; Jay Reeves in Immokalee; Terrance Harris and Claire Galofaro in Orlando; and Jason Dearen, Freida Frisaro, Curt Anderson and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.
A sailboat washed ashore at Watson Island in the Hurricane Irma aftermath Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Miami. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
A rough surf surrounds Boynton Beach inlet as Hurricane Irma hits in Boynton Beach, Fla. (Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Laura Raymond walks down the stairs with a flashlight while leaving her mother-in-law’s fourth floor apartment where she rode out Hurricane Irma with her family to return to their low lying home a mile away in Marco Island, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Members of the Raymond family, from left, Joe, Laura and their daughter Caitlin, 12, leave the fourth floor apartment of Joe’s mother where they rode out Hurricane Irma to return to their low lying home a mile away in Marco Island, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Members of the Estero Fire Department clear trees blocking roadways on their way to work, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Members of the Estero Fire Department clear trees blocking roadways on their way to work, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Evacuees leave the Germain Arena, which was used as an evacuation shelter, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Kelly McClenthen walks through her flooded neighborhood, as she returns to see the damage to her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Bonita Springs, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A roof is strewn across a home’s lawn as Rick Freedman checks his neighbor’s damage from Hurricane Irma in Marco Island, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Evacuees leave the Germain Arena, which was used as an evacuation shelter for Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Flood waters from Goodbys Creek cover San Clerc Road as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
Urban Flood Water Rescue Team 2, with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, makes its way along San Marco Boulevard on the Southbank of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
An Urban Flood Water Rescue Team with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department makes its way along a flooded street on the Southbank of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
A sinking boat is surrounded by debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma at Sundance Marine in Palm Shores, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
A sinking boat is surrounded by debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma at Sundance Marine in Palm Shores, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Kelly McClenthen walks through her flooded neighborhood, as she returns to see the damage to her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Bonita Springs, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A roof is strewn across a home’s lawn as Rick Freedman checks his neighbor’s damage from Hurricane Irma in Marco Island, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Evacuees leave the Germain Arena, which was used as an evacuation shelter for Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Flood waters from Goodbys Creek cover San Clerc Road as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
Urban Flood Water Rescue Team 2, with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, makes its way along San Marco Boulevard on the Southbank of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
An Urban Flood Water Rescue Team with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department makes its way along a flooded street on the Southbank of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
A sailboat washed ashore at Watson Island in the Hurricane Irma aftermath Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 in Miami. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
A rough surf surrounds Boynton Beach inlet as Hurricane Irma hits in Boynton Beach, Fla. (Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Laura Raymond walks down the stairs with a flashlight while leaving her mother-in-law’s fourth floor apartment where she rode out Hurricane Irma with her family to return to their low lying home a mile away in Marco Island, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Members of the Raymond family, from left, Joe, Laura and their daughter Caitlin, 12, leave the fourth floor apartment of Joe’s mother where they rode out Hurricane Irma to return to their low lying home a mile away in Marco Island, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Members of the Estero Fire Department clear trees blocking roadways on their way to work, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Members of the Estero Fire Department clear trees blocking roadways on their way to work, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Evacuees leave the Germain Arena, which was used as an evacuation shelter, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which passed through yesterday, in Estero, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This photo provided by Michael Sechler shows a stranded manatee in Manatee County, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached. (Michael Sechler via AP)
People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma, in Cape Coral, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This image taken from video shows MSNBC’s Kerry Sanders reporting on Hurricane Irma in Naples. Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. Journalists were the shock troops allowing the nation to experience the storm from the comfort of their living rooms. Networks all brought their top teams in on the weekend for special coverage, non-stop on the news channels. (MSNBC via AP)
A vehicle drives on flooded Brickell Avenue in Miami on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, as Hurricane Irma passes. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Aden Alcroix-Camper, 11, walks through debris from a second- story roof scattered over two block area after a possible tornado touched down at Palm Bay Point subdivision in Palm Bay Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, as Hurricane Irma made landfall in the state of Florida (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall. The shelter welcomes people from the area with pets and those with special needs. Owners were told as the tropical storm winds began to say goodbye to their pets until after the hurricane Irma was over. (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
The metal canopy at a gasoline station is shown after it was overturned by high winds brought on by Hurricane Irma, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in North Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
People walk out on to what is normally four feet of water in Old Tampa Bay, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. Hurricane Irma, and an unusual low tide pushed water out almost hundreds of yards. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Storms clouds move in over the skyline of downtown Orlando, as Hurricane Irma makes its way up the Florida peninsula, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
The winds from Hurricane Irma blow palm trees as it approaches Naples, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
An American flag is torn as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
