cuba last night and set its sights on florida. it had regained category five status, but dropped back to category four early this morning with winds 155 miles per hour. irma is expected to hit the florida keys tomorrow morning and slam into the state's southwest coast. there was a mass exodus yesterday, but people were told to be out by midnight or stay put. the governor of florida gave an ominous warning to those who did not evacuate. he said they would have to ride out the storm at their own risk. long lines stretched for blocks as thousands of people in miami looked for shelter from hurricane irma. there are 40 shelters open right now, seven were at capacity yesterday. boats were tied down in an effort to keep them from blowing away. irma has left a devastating impact on the carribean at least 20 people were killed. thousands are homeless on the resort island of barbuda is in ruins. stephanie ramos live in florida with the latest. >> reporter: this morning there are people trying to make a mass exodus out of florida as the monster storm raging closer to the coast and grows str

hurricane irma set to hit florida as the weekend begins. so we're going to show you the joint news conference here with the president. later we will take you to a hearing, a house armed services subcommittee hearing looking at the naval accidents of the "u.s.s. fitzgerald" and u.s.s. john s. mccain" that should get under way in the half hour, we expect to have that live for you as well. speaking of the hurricanes, we've been watching the briefings today of florida governor rick scott speaking about preparations being made in that state for the weekend hurricane that's expected. here's a look at the latest briefing from today from the florida governor as we wait to hear from president trump and the emir of kuwait. >> benita beach and florida keys. hurricane watch in effect for jupiter, southward around florida peninsula, florida keys, lake okeechobee and florida bay. right now the national hurricane center is reporting that hurricane irma remains a dangerous and life threatening category 5 storm with winds of 175 miles per hour. basically what we know now florida will have major hur

hurricane irma on this day. the storm roaring past the bahamas and cuba, as it takes aim at florida. once again as a category 5 there. all this while florida braces for what lies ahead to the next 48 hours. tough 48 hours. and survivors in the caribbean are adding up the damage left behind. the number is big. at this hour, hurricane irma is barreling down on cuba as a category 5 storm, with ferocious 160-mile-an-hour winds. the massive storm's path shifted west as it regained some strength, now charting a course expected to churn through the florida keys, before hitting naples, ft. myers and florida's east coast expected to be batters by this storm, the size of texas almost. the big question is how the storm's path through cuba may impact its course and whether the storm will weaken at all before reaching the keys. florida's governor is urging those on the state's west coast to be prepared to head to a local shelter if they do not evacuate by noon local time, saying not following evacuation orders could cost you your life. 23 people have died so far in connection with the storm that left

florida as well. we will see you back here on monday, september 11th. much more to come on "hannity," up next. >> sean: many thanks to our friends on "the five." this is a fox news alert. our thoughts and prayers go out to our friends in the state of florida. why? they are in the direct path of a massive hurricane, hurricane irma. it could be a devastating category for ten storm by the time it's the state on sunday morning. pete officials have asked 5.6 million people to evacuate. rick scott is now warning residents to get out before it's too late. on the ground, our own steve harrigan. is it from the storm or suffering apart? >> this is the start of things, the wind has picked up each hour, no rain yet but already biscayne bay off to my left is topping over the walls here. there's a real sense of fear when you talk to people across florida, especially here in the miami area. they are afraid that a destructive, deadly storm is on the way, no matter where it makes landfall, everyone in south florida, especially is going to be hurt by this. they are also fearful of the decisions they

the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. rubio: mr. president, two weeks ago this very evening i had just finished my time as the presiding officer over the senate and made the decision that early the next morning i would be returning to florida instead of staying here the following day. the reason was that at that time and in that moment the strongest storm ever recorded out of the flick was bearing down first -- out of the atlantic was bearing down first on the caribbean not just towards florida but the city in which i lived and the nation watched over the next few days as that storm took its track. there has been a lot said about hurricane irma since that time. i heard some say that it could have been worse, and i imagine some particular instances perhaps that is true. had that storm entered through tampa bay in florida, it would have been an incal cliewbl lost through the counties of miami-dade, broward and palm beach counties, the economic loss would have been very significant. so it's possible that the storm could have had an even greater impact. but it's difficul

battering south florida. the powerful storm has shifted and is now set to sweep up the state's west coast. irma knifed through the caribbean leaving death and destruction. many of the islands reduced to rubble. hurricane hunters scening us brand-new video of the eye of the storm from high in the air. >> announcer: news 4 begins now with storm team 4. >> i want to show you a live look at south florida this evening. this is usually sunny isles beach. you can see the conditions are worsening as irma moves closer to the area. good evening, i'm erika gonzalez. we have two live reporters following irma's path in culver. we want to start with a closer look at irma's shift. a new track has come out as of 5:00, samara, is there any further shift in that or what are you seeing now with this? >> reporter: no major changes. however, i will say it's just shifted a few to the west meaning this could be more of a direct hit for areas like tampa and st. petersburg. show you where the storm is located. folks, the eyewall of this system where you see the most catastrophic winds is less than a mile fr

>>> that breaking news, hurricane irma barreling toward florida. good morning. this is nbc10 news today. i'm rosemary connors. we're tracking irma's path as the superstorm gets ready to make landfall. irma strengthened to a category 4 overnight. right now, communities all along the coast from west to east are getting hit with hurricane force winds. this is a live look at what's happening in ft. myers, florida, right now. mt. myers is on the southwest coast. you can see the palm trees whipping in the wind. the national hurricane center says miami airport has seen gusts up to 60 miles per hour. tornado warnings have been posted throughout the morning in ft. lauderdale. tens of thousands of people in florida are huddled in shelters as the hurricane threatens to cause catastrophic damage in the sunshine state. florida governor rick scott is warning residents to hunker down because of the massive storm surge that's expected. it's too late to get out. experts predict that storm surge could reach 15 feet in places like naples, florida. that's where national correspondent jay gray is live

west coast, 3:00 in south florida where millions are breaking for hurricane irma. >> i cannot stress this enough, do not ignore evacuation orders. we can rebuild your home but not your life. >> shepard: the category five storm tearing through the caribbean. maximum sustained winds, 185 miles an hour. the strongest ever recorded in the atlantic ocean. this hour we're attempting to speak with a government hurricane hunter as he flies directly into the storm. he will tell us what he is seeing. we'd go to florida and talk to people trying to get out of harm's way. let's get to it. and first on the fox news deck this wednesday afternoon, the most powerful atlantic ocean hurricane ever recorded is now battering the christian islands. millions in the state of florida prepare for what could be a direct hit. this nasa shows the category five storm from space. it's enormous. forecasters with the national hurricane center say irma has the potential to be a catastrophic storm. the experts say irma's strength is a result of unusually warm waters in the atlantic ocean. irma around the eye w

again. this as all of florida braces for what lies ahead the next 48 hours. survivors in the caribbean survey the damage left behind. okay, at this hour, hurricane irma pounding cuba as a cat-5 storm with ferocious 160 mile-per-hour winds. the storm on track to go and go north toward florida, pummelling the keys there tonight and into sunday, before charting a path through western florida where it is expected to hit naples, orlando, ft. myers, potentially tampa. the threat in those areas is higher than initially thought at least by the latest information that we got two hours ago from the national hurricane center. this after the storm does take a turn westward. a little bit tacking farther to the left of your screen. rest of florida is still expected to be battered by the storm the size of texas. twice the size of florida, huge. with hurricane-force winds wide enough, strong enough to reach coast to coast. the big question, how the path through cuba may impact its course and whether the storm will weaken at all before making landfall in florida. florida's governor rick scott

landfall in florida. the storm is pounding the keys. packing a punch with hurricane force winds. this is a live look along ocean drive in miami beach. the east coast won't get the direct hit, but it is still at risk for some severe damage. good morning. this is nbc10 news today. i'm rosemary connors. it's 7:00 on this sunday. we're watching aspects of hurricane irma's arrival to the united states. it is still a category 4 storm. power is now out to hundreds of thousands. once the storm is over, the power company plans to unleash the largest number of workers in history to clean up. nbc10 national correspondent jay gray is live in naples. >> it approaches the keys and there will mover on to the coast. violent winds and driving rain. irma's assault begins hours before landfall. >> hurricane irma is now impacting our state. millions of floridians will see major hurricane impacts with deadly, deadly, deadly storm surge. and life threatening winds. >> 18 million or more could feel the effects of this massive storm. winds gusting well over 100 miles per hour. 12 inches of rain or more in so

radio. thanks for joining me. here's shep. sls it's noon on the west coast, 3:00 in south florida. . >> the world is watching hurricane irmaa lot of people in the state of florida will be in the clear, becomes a problem for georgia and the carolinas. if it comes too late, florida is in serious trouble according to the governor. the storm has shown its strength, decimating the islands in the caribbean. >> shepard: we'll look at the damage it's done and the latest forecast models for the category 5 hurricane. let's get to it. >> announcer: now shepard smith reporting live from the fox newsdesk. >> shepard: it's serious. this thursday afternoon, irma has killed at least 7 people and left thousands homeless in the caribbean. forecasters say it's looking more likely a massy category 5 storm could deal a catastrophic strike to south florida. today, thousands of people in the sunshine state trying to get out of the path of this monster storm. florida's governor rick scott says people are dealing with crowded highways and long lines, empty pumps at gas stations. he said state officials ar

, rain bands are beginning to -- are still moving across the florida keys and over much of south florida bringing tropical storm force gusts to the region. during the next 24 hours, we expect irma to turn north/northwestward and move right along the coast of the florida peninsula, reaching the fort myers area around sunday evening, passing by the tampa bay area and moving up to north florida by monday morning and then weakening as it moves inland across southeastern georgia to a tropical storm and, finally, a tropical depression over the tennessee valley and southern appalachians by the middle of the week. florida, much of the state of florida is under a hurricane warning, both coastses from the east coast all the way from the georgia border southward including the florida keys, we're especially concerned about the west coast and southwest florida seeing the direct impacts of a major hurricane, the core moving across those regions as we go from sunday into monday. we're also very concerned about storm surge. there's a storm surge warning in effect for much of the florida coast. i

>>> good morning. irma strikes. sglu south florida hammered right now. the hurricane -- knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. the region bracing for a potentially life threatening storm surge. we have correspondents across florida and the region to cover it all today, sunday, september 10th, 2017. : from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," hurricane irma, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, and lester holt, live from florida. >>> good morning, everybody, welcome back to this special edition of "today" on a sunday morning. that's the scene in miami beach. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. lester holt and al roker are in tampa, florida, this morning, and are also anchoring our coverage. we'll get to them in just a moment. >> we're sitting here with our maps of florida in front of us, all the counties, trying to figure out who's going to into impact or have impact with this storm next. here's the latest on irma. packing quite a punch as it slammed southern florida, a dangerous category 4 storm. winds about 130 m

>>> good morning. irma strikes. south florida being hammered right now. the hurricane a devastating category 4 once again, after gaining strength overnight. wind already damaging homes and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. the region bracing for a potentially life-threatening storm surge. we have correspondents across florida and the region to cover it all today, sunday, september 10th, 2017. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," hurricane irma, with live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, and lester holt, live from florida. >>> good morning, everybody, welcome back to this special edition of "today" on a sunday morning. that's the scene in miami beach. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. lester holt and al roker are in tampa, florida, this morning, and are also anchoring our coverage. we'll get to them in just a moment. >> we're sitting here with our maps of florida in front of us, all the counties, trying to figure out who's going to come into impact or have impact with this storm next. here's the latest on irma. packing quite a pun

. raking across the turks and caicos. it's bound for the bahamas. the florida straits. eventually somewhere close to south florida if not into south florida directly. the latest track from the hurricane center at 5:00 shifted a little bit west. because of the hurricane warnings across the bahamas, the hurricane watch south florida and storm surge in interior florida. storm surge watch for possible surges five to ten feet. this is tough stuff possible. the big question is where will it go. nobody has the exact answer. the closer we get the more likely it is we will see the answer focus somewhere right near the southern tip of florida. the latest advisory has it shifted more to the west than earlier. don't follow the center line. the en west of florida and could go east. right now the center of the guidance suggests that it may make landfall and come over the state. if it happens exactly like that, it mines the southern portion of florida, the entire state will be simultaneously under hurricane conditions. right now south florida is sunny and breezy. that is where we find abc7's bra

wider than the entire state closes in on florida. a direct hit with catastrophic winds and storm surge. an ominous new warning from fema. >> i can guarantee you that i don't know anybody in florida that's ever experienced what's abou to hit south florida. >> tonight a massive emergency operation. thousands packing into shelters and hospitals on alert. miami a virtual ghost town and fears are growing on florida's gulf coast as the latest track just in shows the storm ticking to the west. al roker is here with brand-new details. "nightly news" from florida begins right now. >>> hurricane irma. this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt reporting tonight from miami beach. >>> good evening. the iconic miami beach on a late summer evening virtually empty tonight as florida braces for impact with hurricane irma. at this point a bit over 36 hours before landfall, a mall westward shift in irma's track may make little difference at this point. the reality is florida has no place to hide. let me show you why. the storm is far wider than this long narrow state, so virtually everyone is lik

florida. a million people rush to evacuate as hurricane irma churns closer and closer to the u.s. a hurricane warning now in place for all of south florida. our team of stormwatch-7 meteorologists and reporters.are tracking every step of this storm, the preparations and the aftermath. good morning washington i'm adrianna hopkins. and i'm larry smith. live team coverage all morning long begining with stormwatch-7 meteorologist good morning washington. toss to eileen - dry & fall-like through the weekend - irma on the move as a category 5 hurricane - florida landfall likely sunday morning today: mostly sunny to partly cloudy. nice. highs: 73-76 winds: nw 5-10 mph tonight: mainly clear and cool. lows: 49-58 winds: nw 5 mph saturday: mostly sunny. another spectacular day. highs: 70-74 winds: n 5 mph we've been getting brand new this is coming in from turks and caicos where the storm is hitting right now waves as high as 20 feet expected. communications we've been getting brand new video in this morning of we've been getting brand new video in this morning of this is coming in from turks

now - hurricane irma making a slow march up north florida. the storm, weakening in just the last two hours but still packing a powerful punch. fierce winds and heavy rain soaking the state. and a test for tampa as the hurricane hits. good morning washington i'm adrianna hopkins in for autria godfrey. and i'm larry smith. we have a team of stormwatch-7 meteorologists and reporters covering this storm. let's start with meteorologists eileen whelan and veronica johnson 2am nhc update: irma category 1 hurricane it moves over the western florida peninsula - next update from nhc at 5am - increasing clouds from irma today - cloudy & cool tomorrow; few showers late - unsettled work week; warming late week today: sunny and cool start. increasing high clouds. highs: 74-77 winds: ne to e 5 mph tonight: mostly cloudy. lows: 54-61 winds: ne 5 mph tuesday: overcast. cool. a few showers late. highs: 71-75 winds: e 5 mph here is the ve ry latest on 4-point-5 million are without power - that number expected to grow as irma continues to barrel through florida. all major florida airports are closed

could be the most catastrophic storm in florida's history. the desperate escape from hurricane irma with 7 million urged to get out of harm's way, while there's still time. with irma now targeting florida's west coast, the governor warns of a huge storm surge, telling residents it could cover your house. tonight we're on both coasts of florida with those taking shelter, some waiting in long lines, and with those who choose not to leave, as the hurricane that has killed dozens moves toward its violent next act. "nightly news" from florida begins right now. >> announcer: hurricane irma, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt, reporting tonight from ft. myers. >> good evening and thank you for being with us tonight. hurricane irma is virtually sitting at florida's doorstep tonight. the deadly storm just hours away from its u.s. landfall, after delivering a staggering blow to northern cuba for much of the day. this is irma close up, seen from a hurricane hunter plane somewhat weakened by still a dangerous mass swirling toward florida. and this is what it looks like from the ground,

live where you live this is abs 7 news. >> a mass ex odd aus in florida, the city of miami silent. millions told to get out of hurricane irma's path. thanks for joining us. >> hurricane irma made land fall in cuba as a category 5 storm. so far at least 20 people were killed. >> one man was killed installing storm shutters. 5.6 million people have been ordered to evacuate. >> in florida with the latest. >> reporter: tonight a urgent message as hurricane irma moves ominously toward the florida keys threatening to make land fall as a category 5 storm. the national weather service tweeting this is as real as it gets, nowhere in the florida keys will be safe. the shuttle bus. >> cars for miles. >> reporter: fuel running out in nearly a third of gas stations with more than 5 million people in florida asked to evacuate. >> it's even worse now than they were thinking it might be last night. >> reporter: fort lauderdale's airport closed, miami tnl suspending all flights. those who came in trying to get a last minute ticket stranded and sent to shelters. >> we haven't slepd. >> reporter: lo

bahamas and cuba as it takes aim at florida florida. at a category five hurricane. the state is bracing for the worst as the storm looms closer. >> right now as we look at the latest radar pictures you have on screen. you can see how irma remains to be giant. and now a deadly category five storm again. the first band of the storm the size of texas. or twice the size of florida. whichever you want to call it it's big. bringing wind gusts of 50 miles per hour. anyone remaining in the keys told to evacuate immediately. the storm veered west ward earlier tonight. and charting a path that could take it through naples, fort myers and potentially tampa on sunday. but every count in florida is expected to be hit hard. the question is how hard. the storm is pummelling cuba. land fall could weaken irma. packing 160 miles per hour winds. storm surges in florida could reach 12 feet. earlier we were saying ten. causing big concern here. 23 lives have been claimed by hurricane irma as it destroyed parts of caribbean. the scenes from st. martin where the storm left much of the island in ruins and flat

, lashing southern florida right now. the storm strengthening overnight, back to a dangerous category four. >> this is clearly a life-threatening situation. >> 130 miles per hour winds and heavy rain, hundreds of thousands already without power. a potentially catastrophic storm surge expected up and down the coast. more than 6 million people, a third of the state's population, evacuated. >> property is replaceable, lives are not. >> we have correspondents around the region as this historic storm bears down. it is sunday, september 10th, 2017. >>> and we want to welcome you back to this special edition of "today" on sunday morning. i am matt lauer with savannah guthrie, as you just heard, lester and al are in tampa, florida, going to check with them in a moment. let's get the latest on the storm. >> here's where things stand. it is a powerful category four hurricane and it is slamming southern florida at this hour, with in some cases 130 miles per hour winds. >> as you might expect, power outages are really widespread, hundreds of thousands of people are without power and we are hearing abo

closing in on the florida keys and all of florida is set to strike in the next 24 hours on it's long catastrophic trek. it's claimed 25 lives in the carribean. already five million florida -- floridians are heeding call to get out. cameras captured the desperate moment people tried to get out of town. the bottom line officials say, get out right now. >>> it is 5:00 a.m., saturday morning, let's get you to meteorologist chris sowers with the overnight update on irma, chris this is a massive storm. >> a massive storm it's back up to a category 5. the 5:00 a.m. update is not in, these are the 2:00 a.m. numbers, 165 miles per hour gusts shy of 180. north of cuba, havana is right there. here's the florida straits and the florida keys. it's moving west at 12 miles per hour. we're seeing the feeder bands wrapping around the center working their way in towards southern florida. here's a closeup shot on storm tracker 6 live. we set it in motion for you, here's the florida straits and the florida keys, marathon is right here. here's key west. it is drifting west/southwest at 12 miles per

florida preparing for a direct hit from hurricane irma. with an unprecedented evacuation taking place. and residents rushing to prepare for one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. >> kind of frazzled right now. i'm very concerned. i'm hoping everybody makes it through safe. >> the beach right now, i went out this morning to look around, it's like post apocalyptic. >> i have a ticket for $700 and i refreshed and it had gone up $100. >> i had already paid $900 for a round trip ticket that they canceled and they're trying to ask me to pay another $900 ticket for one way. >> path of destruction, irma ripping through the caribbean. right now after flattening entire islands. and leaving at least 17 people dead. in the bahamas they're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best as irma approaches. >> very concerned and i prepare like it's going to be a category 4. five days of food, two weeks' worth of water. my generator is filled up. >>> help is on the way. the house has passed a $15.3 billion disaster aid package for hurricanes harvey and irma. which the president could b

per hour with a slight shift to the west which could actually mean the entire florida peninsula is in h the direct path and mooem could be even greater danger. the airports are jamed. we saw a line at the miaairport >> florida's governor set to speak in a few moments about a once in a generation storm. and right now, the bahamas and central cuba are bracing. this as irma makes her way west. we know at least 18 people confirmed dead in the caribbean. the red ros cross es tet -- we' see how long this takes to ride out. chart with chad myers, the meteorologist. so chad, importantly i think john mentioned the shift to the west which would put the entire tip of florida right at the heart of this. >> absolutely. we talked about the european model and american model, gfs and the two models we look at. the european has been west of the gfs the entire forecast and now gfs is agreeing with it, the american agreeing with it. the saying yes it will be west. not up the east coast or slightly off the coast. it will be right over the keys, rite into the everglades. there's the storm 150 miles per

asking us why you've got to florida. >> why to come to florida and how to get out of florida. those were the questions folks were addressing a the airport. meanwhile, let's look at the path of the storm. bonnie schneider is back with us. >> ari, the storm center of irma, category five hurricane is interacting with the northern coast of cuba. but look at the size and the massiveness of this storm. in fact, you can even see some of those clouds getting closer to the border of florida. the storm is still a few hundred miles away. let's take a closer look at the eye and the eye wall. we watched eye wall replacement cycles. that allowed it to weaken and strengthen a bit. but right now, that eye is certainly interacting with the land across cuba. depending on how much interaction we see could really make a difference in terms of intensity, but fortunately not by much. i think we're still going to see a powerful hurricane as it works its way towards florida. the northerly turn is expected to happen tomorrow. right now it's about 300 miles to the southeast of miami florida. certainly getting clo

its fury over the florida keys as the powerful category 4 storm slams into the southernmost point. the monster storm moved to the west where it has a potential to gain even more strength from the warm waters of the gulf of mexico. good morning, i'm nydia han along with gray hall. with special action news coverage of hurricane irma. yyou can see the powerful storm as its hour bands moves ashore. the conditions are expected to worsen as the day continues. this is a live picture. west palm beach florida, hurricane irma began latching the state earlier, it was a powerful category 4 as it reached the popular destination spot of the florida keys >> there has been at least three storm related deaths already in florida. one man died when his truck stormed into a tree in marathon near the florida keys. strong winds thrashed boats around violently in miami like they were children's toys. >>> stephanie ramos in miami with the latest on irma. >> reporter: hurricane irma is roaring into florida. we're seeing some side way rain, you can see behind me the trees being pushed and slammed by very s

. irma strikes. south florida being hammered right now. the hurricane a devastating category 4 once again, after gaining strength overnight. wind already damaging homes and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. the region bracing for a potentially life-threatening storm surge. we have correspondents across florida and the region to cover it all today, sunday, september 10th, 2017. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," hurricane irma, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, and lester holt, live from florida. >>> good morning, everybody, welcome back to this special edition of "today" on a sunday morning. that's the scene in miami beach. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. lester holt and al roker are in tampa, florida, this morning, and are also anchoring our coverage. we'll get to them in just a moment. >> we're sitting here with our maps of florida in front of us, all the counties, trying to figure out who's going to come into impact or have impact with this storm next. here's the latest on irma. pa

. millions more being told to be ready to evacuate. >>> long lines. the looming disaster is leaving florida short of critical supplies with food and water. officials say the most urgent need right now is fuel. can florida get enough gas to get everyone to safety? >>> and no recall. donald trump jr. answers questions from senate investigators about russia but says he doesn't remember details of white house involvement in a misleading statement about his meeting with the russian lawyer. now cnn is learning special council wants to know more. >>> we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in the situation room. >>> this is cnn breaking news. >> the breaking news this hour, troubling forecast for irma. the record hurricane ravaging the caribbean and taking direct aim at florida. new forecast shows the killer storm increasingly likely to strike the metro miami area. widespread evacuation is underway and the governor says residents should be prepared to flee no matter which coast they live on. the effort to get out is creating a fuel shortag

from key west, florida, where mass evacuations are underway. it looks like a beautiful day, but 31,000 people have left the florida keys already. much of the area under a mandatory evacuation. >> in miami people are lining up around the block to get into hurricane evacuation centers. irma could produce a storm surge up to ten feet in certain areas. tammie souza has the latest track here. it came down moments ago. >> it came down moments ago. not happy about this track. it's tracking to the west and it shows the storm intensifying back up to a category 5 hurricane as it crosses the keys. there's only been a handful of category 5 that have struck the u.s. historically. they usually are downgraded. so let's take a look. it's moving right now past cuba and through the bahamas and going to be entering the straits of florida very soon. it has yet to make the turn that we are so desperately waiting to see it make. the outer bands of rain already associated with it across the bahamas. ask. we have a different system crossing florida, but the clouds are already crossing florida. we also

coverage now of hurricane irma as it comes ashore in florida. this historic category 4 monster storm which began almost two weeks ago now. thousands of miles away in the eastern atlantic. well, now, it is upon us. every bit as powerful and dangerous as predicted. the latest as rains and high winds lash much of southern florida. irma's eye has torn across the florida keys with winds as high there as 130 miles an hour. the storm is bearing down on florida's west coast. threatening a devastating storm sturge event, potentially unprecedented in its districtive power. nearly 2 million homes at this hour and businesses are already without power across south florida. and unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. let's get to sam champion. he's in miami. our our nbc news weather contributor. sam, you've been there now for days. what are we seeing in miami? because that's sort of the eastern side of the storm? >> reporter: hi, kate. yeah, well, since is this storm made landfall at about 7:30 this morning in the keys, we've been in a constant area of tropical storm force winds with hurricane-fo

still a cat 5. as it nears florida and the track has closed in w, expected to be a major hurricane. this is really, really bad news for florida. south florida is watching it closely. it will be be affecting south florida in a big way. this is still a large hurricane. it's larger than the state of florida is wide. if it moves up the center of florida, it will be impacting both coastlines with tropical storm force winds at least. there's a storm right now. the most dangerous side and direction of motion is the northeast side of the eye. at this point, as far as the track is concerned, it looks like miami add the east coast of florida will see the most as far as the tornado threat. here is the track. category 4 potentially, maybe slamming a lot of the florida keys into south florida. this is ever glade territory, this is swampland. it's very warm here too. i'll show you the rest of the track and what we can expect >>> thank you, stheen heena. >>> we're working all angles. let's give you a look at the satellite eye of the storm. 12 people have been killed and we expect the number to ri

florida. storm a category 4 butl considered extremely this is a florida to islands flattened inf storm. let's get you the very latest with the final preparations under way across virtually the entire state of florida right now. landfall is expected in less 2 shifted the storm to the west. that's putting the florida keys directly in its crosshairs. wesg winds. governor of florida sayi. nearly 6 million people are thn orders. overnight irma did come ashore n hour. already more than a dozen people across the caribbean have been killed by this monster a storm. have reporters across th state of florida well as the caribbean, covering all the angles of the story, from the evacuations the damage already done. begin with mariani beach. what's the latest? >> reporter: you just saw hopefully a patrol car behind morning long in every corner trying to tell people to evacuate. we've also seen people that are barrier island, this coastal i evacuation order for its 100,000 residents. been here since 6:00e morning. weather took a turn fo worse in the last half hour. is avenue, a street that usually wo

tracking irma as it pushes closer to florida. it did make landfall in cuba late last night. right now the storm is a little more than 200 miles away from the tip of florida. it could hit the keys sometime 20 tomorrow morning. thousand we go live to sarah rosario in forth laud. >> reporte ft. lauderdale. >> reporter: the wind is starting to pick up here as hurricane irma is less than 24 hours from landfall. hurricane force winds expected from coast to coast, raising the potential of life threatening storm surge. the message clear. you need to go now. and a has exodus followed as irma showed its strength. >> we were here for wilma. nothing really frightening as this. >> reporter: many heeding warnings as the most powerful atlantic hurricane on record battered the caribbean taking lives, homes and leaving more than a million people without power. >> this is a catastrophic storm that our state has never seen. >> reporter: many shelters are full. gas stations and airports closed. >> i don't know what do. >> reporter: preparations made across the state. from protecting animals at the mi

hurricane irma. at this hour, the storm is approaching the lower florida keys heading up the gulf coast, hitting tampa and st. petersburg. florida officials have ordered more than 6.5 million residents to leave their homes, one of the largest emergency evacuations in u.s. history. gov. rick scott is warning the state could get up to 18 inches of rain. according to the associated press, st. petersburg and tampa have not taken a head-on blow from a major hurricane in over a century. these are images across the state of florida. then there is hurricane jose, which is also a category four storm. that storm at the moment is moving away from a string of caribbean islands, a welcome reprieve. with all of this happening, we want to begin with your calls at this hour. we have aligned set aside for florida residents. (202) 748-8000 for those of you in eastern and central time zones. (202) 748-8001 for those of you out west. if you live in the state of florida or have evacuated and have moved to georgia or north carolina, we would love to hear from you, (202) 748-8002. this is the headline f

you're watching bbc news. the headlines at 4. hurricane irma slams into the florida keys with winds up to 130 miles per hour. more than six million people have been ordered to leave their homes as the storm inches closer to the mainland. torrential rains causing floods gci’oss torrential rains causing floods across this region and that is on top of the deadly storm surge which is almost certainly going to happen. it is horrible. from the florida keys around the caribbean. this is the scene live in miami, described asa the scene live in miami, described as a ghost town, as the storm approaches. cuba was battered overnight. there's been "significa nt damage" and the recovery process is now beginning. in other news: officials in mexico say at least 90 people are now known to have died in thursday's earthquake. tony blair calls for tougher immigration rules numbers without the need for brexit. sir mo farah becomes the first athlete to win the great north run four times in a row. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. after battering its way through the caribbean, hurricane irma — c

big story on "action news" tonight is the final preparations for irma's impact on florida. more than 660,000 residents must evacuate and find hurricane proof shelter. the county plans to open 43 shelters with room for more than 1,000 people by tonight. hundreds of thousands have already fled in anticipation of irma's winds and storm surge. many roads leaving the state have been jammed with traffic. florida governor rick scott is warning residents in south florida they only have hours left to evacuate. "action news" anchor brian taff is in florida with more on the evacuations and hurricane preparations. gray hall is at philadelphia international airport where folks are arriving on some of those final flights from florida but first let's get the latest track of hurricane irma from meteorologist cecily tynan. >> monica, the national hurricane center is sending out dire warnings to the residents in the florida keys to get out now because there will be no safe place on the keys when this storm hits. first of all, it's enormous and it's actually gotten bigger. the eye wall is now 40 miles

hurricane irma slams into the florida keys. here's a live look from miami as packs in stro >>> this morning, hurricane irma slams into the florida keys. here is a live look from miami as the category 4 packs strong winds and torrential rains. the storm is resulting in the first ever issuing of a tropical storm warning as far north as atlanta, georgia. it's 7:30 on this sunday, september 10. >> let's go back to that live look in miami. as you see, gusty wind, tons of rain, waves cresting and forming in the water. luckily we are not seeing people there except for our photographer of course who is out there in a car trying to stay safe. trees are almost horizontal from the very strong winds and water whipping around the city of miami this morning. >>> this is what it looked like last night before irma mainland fall. that winds was strong enough to up root some trees. this one was tossed in the air before falling on a car and smashing it. >> the eye is passing over the florida keys. after losing steam, irma has again ramped up its power and reached cat 4 strength. that means packing win

down -- these are pictures -- video pictures from naples, florida, yesterday when the worst of the storm came ashore late afternoon into the early parts of the evening. a lot of the coastline there inundated. this is ft. lauderdale, florida, now. looks a lot calmer there in southeast florida. the winds have gone offshore across southeastern florida, ft. lauderdale and the miami area. it is going to continue to be he owe if you have any flights in or out of atlanta, you need to call your carrier. there are a mountain of cancellations there. the worst for tampa bay is the wind is coming back on shore. so yesterday you had all that wind offshore and as a result the water literally was draining out of tampa bay. that's turning now as the storm surge is wind is spreading as far north as north georgia. i think rain stays as close as west virginia today. we'll be dry here. we'll deal with the rains from irma tomorrow and the rest of the week. otherwise, a chilly and dry start to the day. >>> and we want to show you some of the powerful images coming out of florida this morning. this shows

>> forecast for florida you growing ever more grim. >> hurricane making its way after tearing down the caribbean. >> storm back up to category 5 storm again. rick scott is warning residents to get out now before it's too late. >> it's wider than an entire state. you can be the survive this. >> the entire state, the entire peninsula will be directed impacted by this and if catastrophic way across the south. >> 5.6 million people have been asked to evacuate their homes. >> have to get out now. we can rebuild your house, we can't rebuild your family. >> we will come back stronger than ever before. >> we are straight to a fox news alert, hurricane irma soaring back to catastrophic category 25 storm now on florida's doorsteps just hours from making landfall and the state braces for a direct hit. >> governor ordered largest evacuation in u.s. history, 6 million people told to evacuate. >> the monster storm gaining steam and will strike the keys, naples and miami. >> this one is engulfing our entire state. storm surge on the west coast is going to be 5 to 10 feet. you think that's your en

. the outer bands already visible from the florida keys. a storm now predicted to travel up florida's west coast with hurricane force winds across the entire state before heading inland towards tennessee. >> over five million people in florida are under mandatory evacuation orders. many standing in long lines to get into shelters like this one here in miami. county officials from miami dade are expecting at least 100,000 evacuees. governor rick scott urging residents not to take any chances. >> if you are told to evacuate, leave, get out quickly. the roads will fill up quickly, so you need to go. i'm a dad, and i'm a grandfather. i love my fathemily. i can't imagine life without them. do not put yourself or your family's life at risk. >> governor scott also taking to twitter asking for 1,000 volunteer nurses to help in special needs shelters. florida is not the only state preparing for irma's wrath. georgia governor nathan deal has ordered residents on the coast to start evacuating at 8:00 a.m. some heeding that warning sooner, joining evacuees from florida on i-75 towards atlanta. >>

florida keys a short time ago. high winds, a lot of rain, hammering parts of the state. >> it has been interesting. we now know the trajectory is for the center of the storm to hit the west coast of florida. yet images we have seen this morning that have been most devastating is southeast florida, miami, miami beach, florida city getting hammered and this isn't the worst of it. >> if you're joining us, that image of the guy standing in the brunt of winds was a storm chaser, talked to him a second ago, he was on the causeway in the florida keys, said those were the heaviest winds he's ever dealt with in his line of work. right now, irma is right on top of the florida keys. the eye reaching there in the last hour. sustained max winds remain at 130 miles per hour, making it a major category four storm. >> in addition to wind and rain, storm surge is another major problem with this one. it could be as high as 15 feet in some places. >> the storm has lead to the largest evacuation in florida history, more than 6 million people there. hundreds of,0 hundreds of thousands told to evacuate in g

continues from new york. julie: fox news alert, millions of people in florida now bracing for hurricane irma. the storm now hugging the northern coast of cuba. forecasters expecting it could hit the florida keys at day break with 110 miles an hour in winds. state officials, meantime, asking another 700,000 people to evacuate before irma hits florida. never has the state of florida seen so many evacuations, bringing that number to almost seven million people right now. hello and welcome to a brand new hour of "america's news headquarters," i'm julie banderas. good to see you, mike. mike: i'm mike emanuel. hurricane irma leaving widespread damage in its wake. meanwhile, governors declaring states of emergencying in florida, georgia, south carolina and alabama as residents brace for life-threatening high winds, dangerous storm surges and tornadoes. >> you need to listen to local evacuation orders. i'm a dad and i'm a grandfather. i love my family more than anything. i cannot imagine life without them. do not put your life or your family's life at risk. right now is the right time to do the

expected to weaken as it continues up through the panhandle of florida. more than 3 million customers are without power. >> thank god that we still alive and god get us through this storm. >> i would say don't come out of your house until the sun is up and you can clearly see. >> so far five storm related deaths are being reported in florida. at least 26 deaths have been blamed on irma from when it hit the caribbean islands. >> that number without power is he can expected to increase. power crews are heading heading crews expected to get there by today or tomorrow. >>> fema crews like all of us are waiting for daylight today to see how bad the damage in florida is. >> they have been sending rescue and relief teams to the state as well where one of our local fema task teams is this morning. melanie alnwick is tracking all of this. >> reporter: president donald trump declared a disaster declaration for florida but as you mentioned we're really not going to get a sense of what some of the damage is especially on some of those islands that were cut off the florida keys, sanibel, marco island

going to be a nightmare for florida. >> track it on the app. i'm jim rosenfield. >> and i'm jacqueline london. we'll see you after football tonight. >>> tonight, from miami, it's a race against time to get ready or get out as a category 5 monster decimates islands in the caribbean and races toward florida. hurricane watches are up and mandatory evacuations are under way. tonight airport ps and roads are packed. gas and supplies rapidly running low. al roker will be here with the latest track. >>> massive security breach. breaking news from the credit monitoring company equifax. cyber thieves making off with private information of 143 million americans, nearly half the u.s. population. we have late details how to know if you've been hit. >>> behind closed doors. what donald trump jr. told investigators about wanting dirt on hillary clinton from the russians. >>> and first day of school for the little prince. "nightly news" begins right now. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt, reporting tonight from miami. >>> good evening, and thank you for joining us. downtown m

tallahassee, florida, where we're waiting for the start of governor rick scott's briefing on hurricane irma. it should start any moment now, and of course, we'll have that live for you as it happens. we're also watching irma's track which now has that storm plowing right through the florida keys overnight. and then the next target, florida's west coast, which could face storm surges of ten to 15 feet. irma may still be hours away from making landfall in florida, but take a look at this video. so this is a marina just north of key largo, already dealing with more than a foot of flood water. florida's not the only state bracing for irma, by the way. it could still be hurricane force by the time it reaches georgia. authorities there have been evacuating thousands of residents today. and right now in he is terr row florida we have nbc's gabe gutierrez. we've reports out all across florida. they are continuing to move. gabe, let me start with you. tell us what's going on where you are. >> hi there, chris. well, over the last few hours we've been reporting on this massive shelter that opened

evacuated on low lying areas. >> the storm is now 24 hours away from florida. when we started the show at 5:00 a.m., the storm was 300 miles away, now 240 miles, so moving pretty fast at that. irma is expected to travel along florida's west coast hitting the entire state with hurricane force winds and heading inland. over 5 million people are under mandatory evacuation orders, many waiting for hours to get into shelters like this one. you see right here in miami, people lined up there. governor rick scott urging those who have not evacuated to leave immediately. >> we are running out of time. the storm is almost here. if you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now. this is a catastrophic storm that our straight has never seen. >> governor scott also taking to twitter asking for 1,000 volunteer nurses to help in special needs shelters, 1,000 red cross volunteers and 7,000 florida national guard members stationed across this state. georgia is preparing for irma's path with governor nathan giel in that state ordering 450,000 residents on the coast to start evacuating at 8:00 a.

>> first tonight at 10:00. hurricane irma is battering south florida with ferocious winds and fierce reigns as white caps are breaking on the streets of downtown miami. i'm joe walden in miami the latest straight ahead. >> as the hurricane continues its track up the state of flora residents hunkerring to pass. >> understand we'll do everything we can to help you. >> we have team coverage tonight on hurricane irma. and we're going to take care of everybody. we'll spare no expense. federal government is here and state government here and local government is it here and we'll do everything we he we have great first respokeners and we'll do everything we can to take care of everybody. >> we begin with latest on hurricane irma category 2 storm. >> it made land fall in florida keys at category 4 past 9:00 this morning and made a second land fall battering marco eye land florida south of naples 3:35 this afternoon as a category 3. irma lost intensity as it continues to move across the state. >> right now more than 160,000 people are florida and updated number more than 3 million peop

specialists" will begin in a moment. it's 5:00 in south florida, time for a new update from the national hurricane center. three hours ago it was a category five trance storm, maximum sustained winds 175 miles an hour headed to the lower bahamas and then generally toward florida. now to michael brennan, chief hurricane specialist. >> good afternoon. this is mike brennan at the national hurricane center. a update on hurricane irma. it's an extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane centered about 650 miles to the east-southeast of south florida. the eye of irma is moving through turks and caicos. 175 miles per hour. irma is moving to the west-northwest at about 16 miles an hour. over the next several days, we expect irma to remain a categor category 5 hurricane. turning northward, and approaching the florida peninsula sunday. the new track, a little bit to the left of the previous track. inland over the florida peninsula, making landfall as a major hurricane somewhere in the vicinity of south florida on sunday. there is still some uncertainty as to where the northward turn will occ