State Of Emergency Declared In Florida As Extremely Dangerous Hurricane Barrels Toward Coast

As residents of Texas continue to grapple with the astounding damage caused by Harvey, there's yet another dangerous hurricane making its way towards the East Coast. Looming near Puerto Rico, Hurricane Irma has recently intensified to a Category 5. Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of this storm which may or may not severely effect the coast of Florida this week.

Here's more on the latest update:

As of Monday, the powerful storm was approximately 1,800 miles from the Eastern Seaboard and as it continues to approach, officials urge citizens to prepare accordingly.

While the hurricane's track has shifted south and east, there's still likelihood of the storm impacting Florida and the Gulf Coast.

One of the most concerning aspects of the storm is its wind speed of 175 MPH.

According to the Capital Weather Gang, these speeds are among the highest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

Areas that are in the hurricane's immediate path include the Leeward Islands, the British and US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The government of Puerto Rico has also declared a state of emergency.

Officials believe the storm could reach Florida as early as Saturday.

While the exact path of the storm is unpredictable, the National Weather Service has prompted residents of Miami and other nearby areas to prepare for this storm by monitoring the news and devising a plan of action.

The following image, courtesy of ABC news, shows the current positioning of Irma:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the residents anticipating Hurricane Irma and as always, we encourage anyone concerned about the storm to take caution and stay alerted to the news.