Irma Downgraded to Category 4, Still "Extremely Dangerous"
Friday, September 8, 2017 at 7:07AM
Editor

Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Hurricane Irma passed through the southeastern Bahamas' Grand Inagua Island as a Category 4 hurricane on Friday, on its way toward South Florida.

A hurricane warning was issued by the National Hurricane Center for South Florida and the Florida Keys. Current path predictions place Irma hitting the region on Sunday. 

The NHC said in its 5 a.m. advisory that the storm's center was about 495 miles southeast of Miami, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. It is moving toward the United States at 16 mph, with a west-northwesterly turn expected by late Saturday.

It remains unclear if Irma will travel up through the center of Florida, or along its Gulf or Atlantic coasts. The NHC said the storm remains "extremely dangerous."

The advisory listed expected rainfall from the hurricane to reach up to 20 inches in the Bahamas; 10 to 15 inches, with isolated areas receiving 20 inches, are forecast for the upper Florida Keys and southeast Georgia. Progressively less rain, three to six inches, is currently expected in Georgia and the Carolinas.

"A Storm Surge Warning has been issued from Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach" the NHC said, as well as for the Florida Keys.

"A Hurricane Warning has been issued from Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach, as well as for the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay."

Article originally appeared on The Anderson Observer (http://andersonobserver.squarespace.com/).
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