Hurricane Irma weakened as it pummeled Florida — but the storm still packed a powerful punch, spawning torrential downpours, tornadoes and flash floods.
First Irma slammed into the Florida Keys Sunday morning as a Category 4 hurricane, ripping roofs off of mobile homes and littering roads with debris. A day later, it had weakened to a tropical storm, but still brought dangerous storm surge flooding to Jacksonville.
Here’s a look at some of the destruction Irma left in her wake. Authorities are still surveying damage from the record-breaking storm, and this story will be updated as more details emerge.
KEY LARGO
The Florida Keys took a direct hit from Irma at one of the storm’s most powerful points. About 5,000 of the Keys’ 30,000 permanent residents stayed to ride out the storm, Florida Keys spokesman Andy Newman said.
“There’s devastation. I just hope everybody survived,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Monday after flying over the area. “It’s horrible, what we saw.”
Roofs ripped off: CNN’s team in Key Largo saw some areas devastated by the storm, with roofs ripped off mobile homes in one neighborhood. In other parts of the island chain, the closure of US 1, a major artery that connects the islands with the mainland, was a prime concern. “It’s the road. It’s being able to get supplies down,” Newman said.
In the dark: According to state officials, more than 50,000 customers are without power in Monroe County, Florida, which includes the Keys. “We have no cell service, no electricity, and no water,” Monroe County Commissioner Heather Carruthers said.
MIAMI
Gusts topping 90 mph whipped Miami on Sunday, knocking out power to most of the city’s residents. Streets flooded, and flying objects such as coconuts turned into dangerous projectiles. At least two construction cranes partially collapsed.
Clearing roads: Roads are the main concern, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said, as thousands of trees are down.
In the dark: Most of the city (72%) is without power, the mayor said.
MARCO ISLAND
This southwest Florida city was the second place Hurricane Irma made landfall, striking Sunday afternoon as a Category 3 storm.
Storm surge: Large portions of Marco Island were flooded by a 3- to 4-foot storm surge, said Chris Bowden, spokesman for the Marco Island Fire Department.
Downed power lines: There are many power lines down, Bowden said, and the main power pole off the island also went down in the storm. About 2,000 customers there are still without power.
NAPLES
Naples was among the Florida cities pummeled by Hurricane Irma on September 10 — coincidentally the same day that Hurricane Donna devastated Naples 57 years ago, according to David Fralick, the city’s communications manager.
Massive cleanup: Mayor Bill Barnett says trees are down and streets are flooded, even though the storm surge wasn’t as bad as officials feared. “All the beauty kind of got sucked out of the city. … It’s going to be a massive cleanup,” he said.
Widespread power outages: Most of the city doesn’t have power, officials said. And it could be a week until it’s restored, Barnett said.
TAMPA
The Tampa Bay area feared a direct hit from a major hurricane, but ended up getting more of a sideways swipe from a weakened Irma.
Homes destroyed: About a dozen homes were hit by trees and destroyed in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, according to an initial assessment by county officials.
Not over yet: Residents near rivers will start to see flooding as the days go on, Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said.
JACKSONVILLE
While some coastal communities breathed a sigh of relief, people in Jacksonville faced flash flooding on Monday. The St. Johns River rose to record levels, flooding major roadways.
Flash flood emergency: The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for parts of downtown.
Rescue mode: Mayor Lenny Curry said his city is in “rescue mode,” with teams working to evacuate people from low-lying areas impacted by the flooding. “We are trying to do everything that we can to get people safe,” he said. “I have been out and around the city today, and I have witnessed the heroes getting people out of their homes, and it is going to continue.”