Hurricane Irma has re-intensified to Category 5 strength, the US National Hurricane Center said on Friday.
Irma is again a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and may landfall at this strength in Florida Keys early Sunday.
Irma is an extremely dangerous major hurricane, and will bring life-threatening wind impacts to much of the state regardless of the exact track of the center.
The threat of significant storm surge flooding along the southwest coast of Florida has increased. Storm surge could be as high as 12 feet.
Irma is expected to produce very heavy rain and inland flooding with total rain accumulations of 8 to 15 inches.
Meanwhile, Florida officials said that an estimated 5.6 million residents have been ordered to evacuate.
“If you have been ordered to evacuate, leave now. Not tonight, not in an hour, now,” Gov. Rick Scott said Friday night.
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