Cyclone – “Irma” hits Florida with force

Two men push their bicycles along a flooded road at the waterfront in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on September 10, 2017. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press/AP/dpa)

On Sunday morning (local time), the hurricane first moved across the offshore archipelago of the Florida Keys with wind speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour and heavy rainfall, then hit land again a little further north on the west coast of the US state and then moved a little further east than expected further, as announced by the US weather service. Then “Irma” lost strength, but the destructive power of the mighty storm is still great.

Numerous households without electricity

At least two large construction cranes collapsed in the storm in Miami, the Miami Herald reported. The ABC broadcaster reported five dead who died in car accidents or were found dead in their homes. The New York Times wrote of four dead.

Irma about Florida (picture alliance/ dpa infographic)

Almost 4.3 million households were without electricity. More than 12,000 flights to and from Florida have been canceled. The storm brought widespread flooding to the east and west coasts, including television images showing flooding in downtown Miami.

According to the latest forecasts, the hurricane should move further west off the Florida coast, but not as far west as previously thought. The eye of the storm hit the mainland south of the city of Naples on Sunday afternoon (local time). Later in the day, six tornadoes developed in one hour on the East Coast alone, the National Weather Service reported. More hurricanes are to be expected.

Rocking motion of the water feared

On land, hurricanes always weaken, said meteorologist Sven Plöger on Deutschlandfunk. “On land, he lacks the energetic supply,” he said. Plöger pointed out that not only the wind, but also the high amount of rain and a suction movement are problematic.

What Plöger means: “Irma” is wider than the Florida peninsula. Apart from heavy rain, the gigantic weather system led to a curious situation: on the east coast, the hurricane caused the first floods, such as in Miami. In the west, “Irma” initially pushed the water away from the west coast. Pictures showed empty docks; elsewhere the water had moved meters away from the beach promenade.

Meteorologists warned, however, that the water would come back to the west coast in a kind of violent rocking motion, while it would then flow away to the east. From Fort Myers all the way up to Tampa, the people who remained there prepared for the worst and up to 4.5 meter high storm surges. “The worst comes when the eye is pulled through – then the water comes,” said a meteorologist at CNN.

Former Federal Environment Minister Klaus Töpfer said on Deutschlandfunk that climate change can no longer be denied. The US government must also come to this assessment. Not acting is irresponsible.

6.5 million people should leave their homes

In Florida, more than 6.5 million people had previously been asked to leave their homes and get to safety from the storm. This corresponds to around 30 percent of the state’s population – it was one of the largest evacuations in US history. Well over 100,000 people held out in emergency shelters.

A state of emergency was also declared in neighboring states of Florida. Hurricane warnings were in place for some areas in southern Georgia. In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey mobilized the National Guard as a precaution. US President Donald Trump announced that he would travel to Florida as soon as possible to get an idea of ​​the damage.

looters at work

Looters used the chaos caused by the storm to break into shops and homes. American media described attacks from several cities on the east coast of the US state, many of the perpetrators were armed. In the city of Weston, a 17-year-old thief was shot by a security officer, according to various local media. The 17-year-old was taken to hospital while his accomplice was arrested straight away.

In many other incidents, too, the perpetrators observed were young or organized in groups. According to the television network NBC, several suspects were arrested on Sunday for the looting. The station showed a video of a theft that a reporter from the station had observed himself. A few days ago, looters on the Caribbean islands used the post-hurricane chaos to commit theft and break-ins.

Heavy damage also in Cuba

“Irma” made landfall in Cuba on Saturday. The local party newspaper “Granma” reported severe property damage, power failures and flooding in the coastal areas. Waves reached nine meters or more in height. Storm surges washed seawater 500 meters inland, the state weather service reported. Several streets in the capital of Havana were waist-deep in water. Hundreds of thousands of people fled to safety from the storm.

“Irma” has been keeping the region in suspense for days. According to unofficial estimates, the storm killed more than 20 people during its journey through the Caribbean, and some areas are considered uninhabitable. There was severe damage on the islands of Barbuda, Saint-Martin, Saint-Bartélémy and the Virgin Islands, among others.

(nch / jcs)