After more than a week of anticipation and dire warnings from public officials, Hurricane Irma battered the Florida coast Sunday. The storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday morning, spurred widespread evacuations from the state, although not everyone decided to get out.
As photos and videos taken from the various scenes of the storms show, however, Hurricane Irma has brought ferocious winds and the potential for catastrophic storm surges with it.
Whether by way of wind, rain and flooding, or the effects of both on Miami’s infrastructure, it’s clear to see why local authorities were so insistent that south Florida residents evacuate to safer areas. The governor even declared a state of emergency in all 67 of Florida’s counties before Irma touched down, speaking to the seriousness with which state officials viewed the storm.
Dark clouds loomed over Miami ahead of #Irma, which threatens southern Florida after tearing through the Caribbean https://t.co/aH6OWysUm4 pic.twitter.com/bCNKzOuJQm
— ABC News (@ABC) September 9, 2017
Intense wind and rain on Miami Beach. Trees down. #HurricaneIrma is here — and we’re not even getting the eye. Wind hasn’t let up. @wsvn pic.twitter.com/qsEmE6FAGi
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 10, 2017
Here’s a better pic. Heard a loud crack, looked up and saw the crane snapped and falling. @CityofMiami @downtownMIA @wsvn @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/NUCHUICsz2
— Gideon J. Apé (@GideonApe) September 10, 2017
Hurricane #Irma reminding this guy in Key West he should have evacuated. #FirstAlertWX pic.twitter.com/ngSNSNZQIB
— Garrett Bedenbaugh (@wxgarrett) September 9, 2017
Intense wind and rain on Miami Beach. Trees down. #HurricaneIrma is here — and we’re not even getting the eye. Wind hasn’t let up. @wsvn pic.twitter.com/qsEmE6FAGi
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 10, 2017
Downtown Brickell Miami FL #HurricaneIrmaflorida @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/c4U3XyXHyS
— Osmanny (@osmanny24) September 10, 2017
Ferocious winds swirl violently among buildings in mostly-evacuated Miami as Hurricane #Irma charges through Florida https://t.co/5Kz3EN1ESV pic.twitter.com/IEX8QVd2LR
— ABC News (@ABC) September 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/laurelaubrie1/status/906921796682895362
Here’s what Miami looks like right now https://t.co/dd2ELtEzqf pic.twitter.com/Ua0F2M91KR
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) September 10, 2017
Perhaps the most startling sight, very similar to the images that came out of Hurricane Harvey’s arrival in the greater Houston area two weeks ago, is that of massive flooding that’s turned Miami’s streets into nothing less than urban rivers. This has been particularly felt in Brickell, a downtown Miami neighborhood that includes the city’s financial sector.
Angry waters in the Brickell area of #Miami and along the Miami River. We’re live on @weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/pLP7QU5Rxi
— Mike Seidel (@mikeseidel) September 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/nessa_love89/status/906912422006546433
These winds are punishing and water is rising. The view in Brickell. #HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/c0OKy5D9gR
— Joey Flechas (@joeflech) September 10, 2017
#Miami #Brickell area under several feet of water from #HurricaneIrma storm surge @Telemundo51 #flooding pic.twitter.com/puzkXSmWrr
— JRodriguez (@JRodzMIA) September 10, 2017
Water still rising in downtown Miami along Brickell Avenue. Storm surge is intense. Neck deep in areas. @wsvn #HurrcaneIrma pic.twitter.com/RLhVWIkTzQ
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 10, 2017
Miami’s streets resemble a river after #StormIRMA brought around 2ft/60cm of flood water https://t.co/s6HEVa00im Alina pic.twitter.com/8bAjdvDljZ
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) September 10, 2017
Needless to say, the scenes from the ground look intense, hazardous, and quite dystopic. Miami had already struggled with flooding in recent years, a phenomenon many experts have blamed on climate change and its resulting rising sea levels.
A collapsed construction crane is seen in downtown Miami during Hurricane #Irma. Follow our latest updates: https://t.co/Hh0VUM5TCD pic.twitter.com/1WNPU5Ts8m
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 10, 2017
Current situation #irma #miami pic.twitter.com/9FpypwH0Y1
— Jordan Hoechlin (@jordanhoechlin) September 10, 2017
WATCH: A 2nd large crane has collapsed and is dangling from a high-rise building that is under construction in Miami – @MikeSpearsNBC6 pic.twitter.com/Z5vnKx50wx
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) September 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/ladefex/status/906874295086960640
Miami – near the airport pic.twitter.com/1zpENyM1x2
— Mark Sudduth (@hurricanetrack) September 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/WesCallisonTNN/status/906942856081711104
It’s unclear exactly how long Hurricane Irma will continue or how much more water will be dumped on Florida, but from the first images that have emerged, the state is already being hit with a disastrous amount of rain and heavy winds.
