Hurricane Irma is most powerful ever in Atlantic as it hits Caribbean islands.Heading for the florida keys.

So one of the most powerful hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean in like 12 years is affecting islands in the NE caribbean right now.This hurricane is going to be really damaging to anywere it hits now and in the next week or so. Weather models expect it to affect anywere from the Florida Panhandle to the Southern Eastern US.

Excerpt from theguardian article

The most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history bore down on the islands of the north-east Caribbean on Tuesday night local time, following a path predicted to then rake Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before possibly heading for Florida over the weekend.

At the far north-eastern edge of the Caribbean, authorities on the Leeward Islands of Antigua and Barbuda cut power and urged residents to shelter indoors as they braced for Hurricane Irma’s first contact with land early on Wednesday.

Officials warned people to seek protection from Irma’s “onslaught” in a statement that closed with: “May God protect us all.”

The category 5 storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 miles (295km) per hour by early Tuesday evening, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami."

State of emergencies have also been issued for Puerto Rico, Florida and the US Virgin Islands.

If anyone here lives in the potential path of the hurricane in the US I suggest you prepare now because the hurricane is likely to start affecting Florida and other possibly landfall locations in the US as early as this weekend.As usual follow your local NWS and the NHC for more info on this storm.The current NHC forecast show this hurricane not weakening a lot by the time it reaches florida on the weekend.Also please keep all political discussion out of this thread.

It looks like the storm will make landfall in the florida keys now as cat 5 hurricane early sunday morning.

It's a scary time with another huge hurricane hitting, and so shortly after Texas.

I hope people realize the state of emergency is something they don't just ignore until the last minute.

Hoping it makes a random trek back out into the Atlantic.

That's looking incredibly unlikely at this point. People living in Florida and Coast Georgia need to be on alert and hurricane plans in place.

Rough year for the coastal areas it is.......

@super600: I'm in Atlanta GA. Me and the family are keeping an eye on the Hurricane as we speak. I'm already preparing to leave Atlanta if the storm comes near the City and We'll be heading to VA were my cousins are living.

Screw VA, come to Chicago, we can go bowling!

Lastest NHC forecast has the storm right off the coast of GA by early next week.

I think they said it's the second most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever(for as long as they've been tracking hurricanes). And I think it also just broke a record for how long of time a hurricane stays at 185 mph.

I visited Homestead AFB two years after Hurricane Andrew leveled it. All the damage were still there. It felt nasty and weird being there. Physically, the main problems were alligators and packs of feral dogs who took up residence in the ruins.

Plus, the PH government turned the ship my wife took a photo of into a memorial for the super-typhoon victims.

If it stays on its path we will get hit friday night/saturday.

My long time home the island of St. Thomas just got a direct hit and reports from my island fam is it is totally FUBAR. Every power line down. The only Hospital had the roof blown off. Biggest grocery store is totally wiped off the map. Many will be homeless and all industry is done for a while. I am and always will be an island boy at heart, and most of the Islands are pucked. They are dependent on tourism and will likely have none for a long time.

If it is still a 5 and you can evacuate. Do it! There is no reason to stay and the aftermath will be terrible for weeks to months even years. Most houses in the Caribbean are made from concrete, roofs and all. Homes in the states not so much. None of the places I lived there would have been safe. My roof would be gone, flooded or just demolished. Friends stayed in huge hotels like Ritz Carlton and Marriott said you could feel the walls moving. Both buildings that were massive and built for this both were damaged and Ritz lost a roof. This one right now is just a monster.

If there was a category 6 which was never imagined this is it. I been through a number of 1s and 2s but this is 500x stronger and a killer. My island friends didn't have the option to drive north or south on the highway, if you do? Dont be brave and stupid, just go. Even if you survive the storm life will be hell for a long time.

Be safe all.

Looks like we'll run out of money for this year's war budget at this rate.

Gas prices increase is just the beginning :(

I heard it's cold up there in Chicago.

I feel like after the whole Eclipse happen, we been seeing more powerful Hurricanes in a long time.

I'm in Florida and while I'm not on the coast, I gotta say it seems a little scary. I have plenty of water, food, and fuel plus other things like pet food and medicines. It's mostly the lack of shutters or window protection on the building I live in that bothers me, but can't do much about that.

I would love to just sit back and play some games over the long weekend (cancelled classes), but I got stuck with a big power electronics assignment and there's an ACM conference paper deadline in a week...so I guess I'll be pretty busy.

Wilma was pretty shitty, hope power doesn't go out for more than a couple of days this time.

After bowling, treat him to a real Taco.

Im in Tampa and i got my laptop ready, charged, multiple batteries and a battery back up pack.

If the power goes out for a bit, ill be ready to finish playing Metro.

Yep... but people would rather put a blindfold on and pretend everything is fine & we can keep going the way we're going. Unbelievable.

Future generations are the ones who are going to suffer most.

@achilles614: I'm with you on Wilma it's the reason I moved from Florida after Francis and jeane made a living hell out of our time we did not like going through Wilma this one and Jose both look like they are repeating 04 where two hurricane hit 1 week after each other

Storm was supposed to hit us last night at 6 pm. Nothing much where I live (West coast of Florida) It broke up a lot on Cuba and Puerto Rico. Also it went along the Miami side of Florida.

uh nevermind that i guess it's coming tonight...

LOL, it's Saturday night into Sunday morning dude. Stay safe.