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 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

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

>>> 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

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

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

, 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

cuba. this deadly monster storm devastating the caribbean. now setting its sights on southwest florida. >> its new track and the new major cities right in the bull's-eye. >> this, folk, is the big one. >> the national weather service issuing a dire warning, nowhere in the florida keys will be safe. a mass exodus leaving highways jammed and gas pumps dry. >> get where you need to did and do not wait. >> racing the clock to find a safe place to ride out the storm. will everyone be able to get out in time? >> new shelters opening overnight. >> don't stress. don't worry but how can >> as thousands seek refuge ahead of the storm expected to be a category 4 when it makes landfall. some hunkering down ready to ride out the storm at home. >> it is very serious. >> is the miami skyline in jeopardy? >>> and florida's southwest coast bracing for what could be a catastrophic storm surge. the frightening projections, plus states of emergency all the way up to virginia. our david muir and amy robach on the ground leading our team coverage with all you need to know. >>> good morning, everybody. right

especially on the south side of >>> that breaking news, hurricane irma bearing down on florida. good morning. this is nbc 10 news today. i'm rosemary connors. you have been watching msnbc's coverage of the storm. this morning, we'll continue to follow irma's path as the hurricane creeps closer to landfall in florida. overnight, it strengthened back to a category 4 storm. here's what it looks like right now in ft. myers, florida. you can see the palm trees whipping in the wind. this is what it looks like on the east coast, a live picture from ft. lauderdale. the winds have been picking up here overnight. krystal klei is tracking irma's path and watching the weekend for the rest of our weekend. >> we're going to start out by taking a look at the radar and satellite view of irma. the eye of the storm, the eyewall, the area of strongest wind gusts, just moving right towards the keys as you can see, the reds, the orange, the yellow, a band of very, very heavy rain wrapped around the eye, and the gusts are incredibly strong. at 5:00 a.m., we got an update, intensity at 130 miles per hour.

4 storm hits south florida. that's it for the lead. i'm jim sciutto in for jake tapper. i turn you over now to the very capable hands of wolf blitzer. he's in "the situation room." >>> happening now, breaking news. direct impact. a monster storm bigger than the entire state of florida is bearing down on florida and could bring catastrophic devastation from one end of the state to the other. it's expected to make a direct impact near miami. path of destruction. hurricane irma is lashing cuba and the bahamas. right now after carving a path of destruction across the caribbean, killing at least 24 and leaving one island reduced to rubble. last chance. florida's governor warns this is the last chance or evacuate and get to shelter. a million people have been ordered to leave their homes. millions more are trying to flee on very crowded highways as emergencies extend up the east coast through georgia, the carolinas to virginia. >>> and left behind. officials warn that those who won't get out are putting their lives at risk and will be on their own once the storm hits. rescuers will not b

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

north end has georgia on its mind. it's 2:00 in south florida and across georgia, i'm shepard smith in new york and this is fox news channel continuing coverage of the devastation of hurricane irma. alive look, this is alive look coming to us from jacksonville. that's a fox news camera that's just watching the waters rise? it's high tide at the bay bridge there. we are waiting to find out what that brings. it we can to tell you the storm is continuing its northward path and working its way over to the state of georgia right now, it's a tropical storm and for the most part down in florida we are waiting for a damage assessment. let's listen to peter who is live in jacksonville where the wind is still howling. >> you would think this is the kind of place where somebody might go to lunch of boat but this is street, we are still two blocks in. you can see how deep it is, about 500 feet where the banks should be right now. what we are told is high tide. you look over to the right here, there's a hyatt regency that is completely closed, there is nobody staying there. you can see why from thi

evacuation now under way in florida as millions flee the state. >>> looking to escape. the incoming devastation. >>> and help from home in the wake of harvey's destruction, our area is stepping up to help those who could lose everything from irma. >> nbc 10 news starts now. >>> if you've been ordered to evacuate anywhere in the state, you need to leave right now. >> a loud and clear warning from the governor of florida to millions of people in the path of hurricane irma. good evening, everyone, i'm ted greenbu greenberg. tonight the number of people in florida ordered to evacuate topped 6 million as we get a better picture of when and where the potentially catastrophic hurricane will hit. here's what we know right now. ir irma is expected to strengthen before it makes landfall in florida, but the state is already feeling the impact of the hurricane's power. 32,000 people are already without power. the storm surge can be anywhere between 5 and 15 feet, enough to completely cover cars and houses. more than 50,000 people in florida have already taken to shelters and there are even more

seriously. >> new projections showing hurricane irma on a path that could devastate florida. meteorologists say miami is now in the worst possible position. overnight, new hurricane warnings for coastal areas. we'll have the latest on irma's track. also the latest on that 8.1-magnitude earthquake in southern mexico. >>> welcome to "early start." i'm dave briggs. >> i'm christine romans. friday, september 8th. 4:00 a.m. exactly in the east. let's begin with the national hurricane center issuing a hurricane warning for southern florida. this extends from juniper -- jupiter inlet on florida's east coast southward around the peninsula to bonita beach and including flat keys and florida bay. >> storm surge warnings also being issued in coastal communities. those surges could reach ten feet. mandatory evacuation orders now in place for parts of miami-dade county, broward county, palm beach county, low-lying brevard county, and monroe county, as well. >> it is not just florida bracing for irma. georgia's governor ordering a mandatory evacuation for anyone east of i-95. that include

coast, living from the florida keys, hitting tampa, naples, near fort myer, and making its way to the center part of the state. live pictures courtesy of noaa, and a simulcast in miami. >> i had 200 mile an hour rains winds tested in my house and every went out. by 20 home was used people for shelter and the people taking shelter were able to stay sits in a closet and were not hurt. they tell him it was one of the scariest things they have experienced, and you can only imagine why by looking at the pictures. >> right now, we are joined in southwest miami-dade to get a sense of what they are experiencing there. >> we were just in our state house a little while ago because we were experiencing heavy rain and rain. we went over there and we just came out, and we are standing right near this power plant. .ou can see the flashing light it is almost like little sparks, like a firework. we will see a spark every now and then, so it is going crazy in the corner. as you look to the left, there is a church and y c gge wtrg e nds. take a look at the palm tree it is gusting ha in this coer. i

on parts of florida. the national weather service warns we are hours away from what can be a direct hit on parts of the state as a category 4. right now it is a category 4, lu lump perring away from cuba, it is expected to reach the florida keys tonight. now heavy squauls of rain with tornadoes imbedded in them. irma has already knocked out power to almost 80,000 people in the state of florida. >> all day long florida's governor has been warning anyone who's been told to leave to get out now because millions are going to face what he believes is a unsurvivable storm surge. this isn't just about the winds, it's about the storm surge, almost 19 people from florida to the carolinas are under some kind of alert tonight. let's bring in our meteorologist who has the latest on the storm track and surges. >> good evening the storm surge is the game. that's the thing that will cause the most threat to lives. i think when you add it up when the storm is done, maybe 20% will be done by the wind damage. the storm surge will probably cause 80% of the damage. storm surge typically kills the most

florida sometime overnight. president trump is currently at camp david where he is receiving updates. -- weeted the national weather posted service posted, storm serve -- surge of 10 to 15 feet is expected along the south florida coast. this is a dire and life-threatening situation. governor scott tweeted, everyone in an evacuation zone needs to leave. onm getting another update the hurricane katrina -- hurricane irma from the orange county eeoc now. south florida is already expensing tropical storm force winds help and 25,000 people have already lost power. hurricane irma is battling with dangerous winds and continues to remain a catastrophic and life-threatening major category three with winkle of 120 miles bank. this is a deadly major storm and our state has never seen anything like it. millions will see major hurricane impacts with deadly, deadly story -- storm surge and life-threatening winco. ds.win there is a threat of storm surge along the florida coast and this has increased to 15 feet above ground level. impact above ground level. think about that. devastating and will cove

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

outer bands invisible from the keys. irma predicted to travel along florida's west coast with hurricane force winds expected across the entire state before heading inland towards tennessee, over 5 million people in florida are under a mandatory evacuation order, many standing in long lines to get into shelters like this one, in miami, that you see on your screen right here. county officials from miami they had are expecting at least 100,000 evacuee, governor scott urge, those who have nom evacuated to leave immediately. >> we are running out of time. the storm is almost here. if you are an evacuation zone, i need to go now. this is a at that time strofk storm our state has never seen. -- catastrophic storm our state has never seen. >> governor scott asking for 100 red cross volunteers and nurses. this is a massive operation. florida is not the only state preparing for irma's wrath, even north of florida, georgia governor ordered 540,000 residents on the coast to start evacuating at 8:00 a.m. some heeding that sooner than others, joining people towards atlanta. >> we hear hurri

17 dead, 100 more injured and now all eyes turn to florida as irma closes in. >> tens of thousands of people have already evacuated, but others are choosing to ride the storm out. >> tonight we have working for you, tracking irma's path and the potential impact. let's start with doug amelia and storm team 4 weather center. >> we continue to track this storm and the closer and closer it gets to florida, the better we have an outlook on exactly where this is going to hit. it's shifting a little bit. >> it's shifting towards the west, we talk about you'll show the track and it's getting smaller and smaller to hone in on what areas you're going to see the most category 5 is 170 miles per hour, it's very close any way. very close to naples and that's where the eye wall will be with 145 mile an hour winds. now i'm going to talk a little bit later on and this is better news for miami. they'll be in the northeast quadrant but a little bit different here. >> we'll take a look at what we surface and some of the higher winds. >> and lots of damage. you're already seeing that irma is capable o

bring flooding rains, high winds and storm surges moving north over the state of florida. it has weakened to a category 1 hurricane. but that does not mean the danger over, far from it. irma hit the florida keys early sunday morning before making a second landfall on marco island yesterday afternoon. right now, nearly 5 million people are without electricity according to florida and light. 866,000 customers are in the dark. downtown miami swamped even though the storm passed well west of the city. on? on florida's west coast, drone damage showing wind gusts of 42 miles per hour, winds were so strong they caused the tide to recede into the gulf of members colorado can you see people there walking up, taking pictures, it's an unbelievable site there. this morning, hurricane irma will continue to move over the western peninsula before move nook southeastern states. overnight, miami-dade police saying 28 arrests have been made so far because of burglary and looting. our affiliate wtlv in st. augustine, they're getting heavy rain bands, give us an update on what you have been see sock

for hurricane irma, there are reports of price gouging throughout the state of florida. the office of the attorney general tells me they've received 4,000 complaints since monday. tom llamas, abc news, miami beach. >>> and a teenager surfing off the coast of barbados was killed as hurricane irma tore through the caribbean. >> the boy was a pro surfer who died in a freak accident when a certain type of wave for make dumped itself directly on top of him and sucked him under. >> it completely surrounded him. >>> hurricane irma hasn't reached the u.s. but is already giving us story the of compassion. >> this is pam and ramon, they were strangers until he gave her the generator he just bought. brecky had spent days searching her sick father. >> she broke into tears when it santiago bought what turned out to be the last one in the store. he gave it to her without even knowing why she needed it. >> it's okay. >> brecky says her father is on oxygen and she has another ill relative to care for. >> and the store's manager says he doesn't know if he'll get another shipment of generators befor

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

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

. 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

>>> tonight, irma's fury. florida under assault at this hour by a monster hurricane pounding almost the entire state. the ferocious winds, the driving rains, the floods expected to get much worse. widespread damage and destruction, including giant cranes toppled, shelters at their limits. tonight, more than 2 million homes and businesses without power. the big fear now, a storm surge along the gulf coast that could reach 15 feet or higher, and the strange effect that sucks the water out. tonight, our teams are in the thick of it, as the storm churns north in a state of high anxiety. "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: hurricane irma, this [000:00:58;00] with lester holt, reporting tonight from tampa. >> good evening. from the path of hurricane irma, tampa is bracing for a rendezvous with a dangerous storm that's happening right now, in a little more than seven hours irma continuing its violent march up and across the state of florida. the florida keys the first to feel its full wrath this morning, striking with 142-mile-per-hour wind gusts. concern tonight for those who d

under water. and atlanta now getting hit. >>> also tonight, our team flying to the florida keys. amy robach on the ground there amid reports of complete devastation and despair. roads washed away. homes destroyed. >>> the massive power outage here in florida. more than 6 million customers now without power. many without water. more than half of florida in the dark. >>> the travel nightmare affecting flights coast to coast tonight. the miami airport now shut down. atlanta now getting hit. flights affected there, as well. >>> and the other major headline this monday night, on this 9/11, a nation remembers. >>> good evening from south florida tonight. right here along u.s. 1, the entrance to the florida keys, where they are not allowing any families to return home. state police road blocks just ahead here amid reports of devastation in the keys. two search and rescue mobile units just passed by us, their sirens on. they were headed into the keys. in a moment here, we will head to amy robach who flew into the storm zone. what she witnessed on the ground herself. but the other part of thi

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

down on turks and caicos and the bahamas. >> a growing fear south florida will take a direct hit and it dob catastrophic, causing anxiety up and down the southeast coast. >> if you think you're a tough guy, you're on your own. >> more than a third at stations in the miami ft. lauderdale air have run dry. >> those who do have gas, prices have increased. take a look at this, more than $7 a gallon. this was immediately investigated as the price went up. >> in florida's capital, a price gouging call center. >> i can do a fine and hurt them and destroy the reputation as well. >> our special coverage of hurricane irma continues this hour. breaking news we've just received the latest track of this monster storm. there are now hurricane and storm surge watches posted for florida. >> listen to that. [ . >> that's the impact of hurricane irma caught on camera by a resident in british inislands. irma roars her way toward the united states, some 150,000 people along the coast ever being ordered to leave or risk being stranded. governor rick scott of florida warned the entire state they must take th

harlow in new york, john berman is in the florida keys. john? >> yeah, poppy, this is big pine key one of the hardest hit areas in florida from hurricane irma. president trump on his way to the state right now. he touches down in just a few minutes, but first, we do have some breaking news. back to poppy. >> all right. john, so the president leaves behind a political storm that began with a dinner last night with democrats and in an apparent breakthrough on daca, the program allowing young undocumented immigrants brought here by their parents to stay in the united states. some conservatives felt they had been frankly stabbed in the back by the president for a second time, making what could be a deal, a big deal, with democrats, and reacted accordingly. see the headline in breitbart news, amnesty don. they don't like this. the president says he is, quote, working on a plan for the d.r.e.a.m.ers, nothing is agreed to yet, but he did importantly note that mitch mcconnell and paul ryan are on board. of course, republican leadership -- >> we met last night with, as you know, schumer, pelosi

miles per hour. this hurricane is tearing towards florida. the entire state is potentially in its path. 1 out of every 20 americans live. >> people are in a panic because we have nothing in stock for what they want. >> what do they want? >> they want tap guns, panelling, generators, propane. >> anybody that's still staying on the streets, they're going to die. they're going to die. >> no one knows how the storm will play out, but the death count is rising, 23 people confirmed dead from this storm ripping through the caribbean and the u.s. virgin islands. >> the four of us and three dogs spent the time of the storm a few hours sitting in the shower and on the ground. >> it's kind of like how long do we stay in here. you kept hearing it bang. eventually once it left, it got better. once is house is gone, it was less cary for us downstairs. >> the human toll, personal toll rng estimates already on the mngs wreckage. the cost of this damage could reach $200 billion, including 135 billion potentially in florida alone. here is one scene that stels the story, the stream of correspond goi