Irma Hammering Florida: Keys Hit Hard, More Than 6 Million Without Power

At a Glance

• More than 6.7 million people in Florida are without power as of Monday afternoon.
• At least 4 deaths in Florida have been attributed to the storm.
• Water is rising in the downtown area of Jacksonville as the winds switch to the south, prompting a flooding emergency.
• Martin Senterfitt, emergency management director for Morgan County, said a "humanitarian crisis" is looming in the middle and upper Florida Keys.

A flash flood emergency was declared for downtown Jacksonville early Monday as Irma continued its assault on Florida with damaging winds, heavy rain and storm surge.

Water is rising in the downtown area of Jacksonville as the winds switch to the south, pushing water northward into downtown, according to the National Weather Service. 

"Jacksonville suffered a double whammy of storm surge pushing in from the Atlantic Ocean, backing up the St. Johns River, then over 8 inches of rain that couldn't drain to the ocean," weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman says.

A tweet by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is warning residents in Zones A and B along the river to "get out now."

John Ward, the emergency operations manager of Clay County, said 46 people had been rescued from flooded homes by early Monday, the AP reports. Others remain stranded as the area's creeks and ponds receive record flooding.

More than 26 river gauges in northern Florida are in major flood stage.

More than 6.7 million people were without power in Florida alone Monday morning and at least four deaths have been attributed to the storm. Two deaths occurred in Hardee County, one death was reported in Orange County and one in St. Johns County.

Nearly 7 million residents – roughly one-third of the state's population – evacuated the Sunshine State ahead of the storm. 

"This is a storm of epic proportions," Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday afternoon. Later in the afternoon, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the state of Florida.

The Keys

• Martin Senterfitt, emergency management director for Morgan County, said a "humanitarian crisis" is looming in the middle and upper Florida Keys after the massive storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane early Sunday, the Miami Herald reports.

• The full extent of the damage is yet unknown on the 110-mile chain of islands, but Senterfitt says fatalities are expected. 

• Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay has declared an indefinite dusk-to-dawn curfew.

• Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi said crews will begin going house to house Monday to search for people who need help and to assess damage.

• A large airborne relief mission mounted by the Air Force and Air National Guard was being organized, Senterfitt said, including “disaster mortuary teams."

• "Help is on its way," Senterfitt said in a statement obtained by the Miami Herald. "We're going to get more aid than we've ever seen in our lives." 

• The center of Irma’s eye crossed Cudjoe Key, 20 miles east of Key West, packing 130-mph winds. 

• With Irma's eye passing east of Key West, locals say the island may have fared better than feared, but severe damage is still being reported.

• The storm knocked out power throughout the Keys and damaged some of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s transmission lines, which may cripple the flow of fresh water to the island chain.

• Key Largo resident John Huston told AP that there were whiteout conditions with howling winds that sucked the water out of the gulf side of the island, where the tide is typically 8 feet deep. He added that he can see structures weathered the storm, but there's a lot of debris on the ground.

Miami

• The state's largest electric utility, Florida Power & Light, told the Associated Press that nearly 3.3 million homes and businesses are without power in Miami-Dade County alone. There are roughly 7 million residential customers in the state. 

• Late Sunday morning, a large crane was heavily damaged by strong winds at Northeast 3rd Street in Miami and collapsed onto several buildings, according to Local10.com. No injuries were reported, but residents were warned ahead of time about the 25 or so cranes in the city that were not dismantled before the storm arrived, the report added.

• A second crane collapse was reported not far from the first incident later in the day; in nearby Fort Lauderdale, a third crane crash was reported at a beach project site Sunday.

• The Miami International Airport said Sunday that all flights have been canceled until further notice, according to a release. 

• The airport sustained more than 100 mph wind gusts and suffered significant water damage, the Miami Herald reports.  

• The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has said it currently has no scheduled time for reopening. 

• Baptist Health South Florida is sheltering more than 6,000 people in its five Miami-Dade hospitals. The total includes 1,400 patients, roughly 3,000 doctors and nurses and their 3,000 family members. 

• Northwest of Miami, officials in the city of Hialeah said widespread power outages affected the sewer pump system, and some backups may occur until repairs are completed.

• Miami-Dade and Broward public schools will remain closed until further notice due to recovery efforts.

Marco Island/Naples

• The storm made its second landfall on Marco Island Sunday as a Category 3 hurricane with winds up to 115 mph, with gusts of 142 reported near Naples. The storm hammered Florida after leaving massive damage and 33 dead in the Caribbean.

(MORE: Latest Forecast for Hurricane Irma)

• A tide gauge in Naples reported a 7-foot rise in water levels in just 90 minutes late Sunday, the National Weather Service reported.

Tampa

• Eight people were displaced in Lakeland after a tree was downed on top of their home, according to the Lakeland Fire Department. There were no injuries reported. 

• In Clearwater, a motorist sustained minor injuries after their vehicle was flipped on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard Sunday, according to the local police department.

• Tampa International Airport ceased operations Saturday and has not yet said when it plans to reopen. 

• A Polk County sheriff's deputy and a paramedic were trapped for two hours in a cruiser Sunday night east of Tampa after winds knocked a utility pole onto the cruiser late Sunday. Both were rescued unharmed, the AP reports. 

• The storm provided a rare sight for residents along Florida's west coast: Hurricane Irma's power pushed water away from the coast and left bays dry – so dry that people could walk farther from the coast than they ever had before.

(MORE: Men Attempt Rescue of Manatees Trapped After Hurricane Irma Drains Bay)

Orlando

• More than 120 homes were being evacuated early Monday in Orange County, just outside the city of Orlando, as floodwaters started to pour in, the AP reports.

• The National Guard and the local fire department are going door-to-door and using boats to ferry families to safety, county officials told AP.

• Orlando International Airport shut down Saturday and has said it will not reopen to passenger traffic until the storm has passed, damage assessments have been completed, and necessary recovery efforts are made, AP reports. The terminal also said it is waiting for the airlines to be consulted to determine when is best to resume operations. 

(MORE: Shelters Fill Up Quickly as Evacuation Orders Mount)

Tornado Damages Homes in Palm Bay

• At least six mobile homes were destroyed by a reported tornado in Palm Bay, according to WFTV.com. No injuries were reported in the trailer park on Indian River Drive, the report added.

• Lt. Mike Bandish told Florida Today that a 93-year-old man stayed behind in one of the damaged mobile homes, despite officers' pleas for him to leave. He was not injured by the storm.

• The tornado was one of several reports of tornadoes across central and southern Florida as the hurricane impacted the state.