Hurricane Irma is churning through the south Atlantic and has been upgraded to a category FOUR storm.  Wind speeds have increased to 130 MPH and it is heading almost due East from it’s current location: latitude 16.7 North, longitude 54.4 West.  Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.  –ADVISORY HERE–

After review of the storm path over the last 12 hours, Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency.  There are strong indications that Florida will be impacted by this storm; however, the exact location of that impact remains unknown.  All initial preparations should be underway for all residents in the path of this storm.

Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Florida’s 67 counties in response to Hurricane Irma Monday. The governor wants to ensure local governments have ample time, resources, and flexibility to get prepared.

“Hurricane Irma is a major and life-threatening storm and Florida must be prepared,” said Governor Scott. “I have continued to be briefed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Hurricane Irma and current forecast models have Florida in Irma’s path – potentially impacting millions of Floridians.
Today, given these forecasts and the intensity of this storm, I have declared a state of emergency for every county in Florida to make certain that state, federal and local governments are able to work together and make sure resources are dispersed to local communities as we get prepared for this storm.
In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared. This state of emergency allows our emergency management officials to act swiftly in the best interest of Floridians without the burden of bureaucracy or red tape.
“In Florida, we know that the best way to protect our families in severe weather is to have a plan. I urge all Floridians to remain vigilant and stay alert to local weather and news and visit FLGetAPlan.com today as we all prepare for Hurricane Irma. We will keep monitoring and issuing updates on Hurricane Irma as it approaches Florida.” (link)