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U.S. NEWS Monday 11 SepteMber 2017
At Press Time: Hurricane Irma largely spares Florida

A Miami woman who went weeks to restore electricity in part because to many ing the afternoon, it round- tornadoes.
into labor was guided to everyone. storm-hardened residents, ed Florida’s southwestern The Tampa-St. Petersburg
through delivery by phone While the projected track staying behind in the face corner and hugged the area, with a population of
when authorities couldn’t showed Irma raking the of danger is a point of coast closely as it pushed about 3 million, has not tak-
reach her in high winds and en a direct hit from a major
street flooding. Firefighters hurricane since 1921.
later took her to the hospi- The wind began picking up
tal. in St. Petersburg, some 400
An apparent tornado spun miles north of the Keys, and
off by Irma destroyed six people started bracing for
mobile homes in Palm Bay, the onslaught.
hundreds of miles away “I’ve been here with other
along the state’s Atlantic storms, other hurricanes.
coast. Flooding was re- But this one scares me,”
ported along Interstate 4, Sally Carlson said as she
which cuts across Florida’s snapped photos of the
midsection. waves crashing against
In downtown Miami, two boats. “Let’s just say a
of the two dozen construc- prayer we hope we make
tion cranes looming over it through.”
the skyline collapsed in the Forecasters said a weak-
wind. No injuries were re- ened Irma could push into
ported. City officials said it Georgia, Alabama, Mis-
would have taken about sissippi, Tennessee and
two weeks to move the beyond. A tropical storm
massive equipment. warning was issued for the
Curfews were imposed in first time ever in Atlanta,
Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauder- some 200 miles from the
dale and much of the rest Waves crash over a seawall from Biscayne Bay as Hurricane Irma passes by, Sunday, Sept. 10, sea.
of South Florida, and some 2017, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) “Once this system pass-
arrests of violators were es through, it’s going to
reported. Miami Beach state’s Gulf Coast, fore- pride. toward Naples, Sanibel, be a race to save lives
barred outsiders from the casters warned that the John Huston, who stayed Fort Myers and, beyond and sustain lives,” Federal
island. entire state — including the in his Key Largo home, that, Sarasota, at 14 mph Emergency Management
Fort Lauderdale police ar- Miami metropolitan area watched his yard flood (23 kph). Agency chief Brock Long
rested nine people they of 6 million people — was even before the arrival Hurricane-force winds ex- said on “Fox News Sunday.”
said were caught on TV in danger because of the of high tide. “Small boats tended 80 miles (129 kilo- With FEMA still dealing with
cameras looting sneak- sheer size of the storm. floating down the street meters) from its center. the aftermath of Hurricane
ers and other items from a Nearly 7 million people in next to furniture and refrig- Meteorologist Ryan Maue Harvey in Houston, Irma
sporting goods store and a the Southeast were warned erators. Very noisy,” he said of WeatherBell Analytics could test the agency’s
pawn shop during the hur- to evacuate, including 6.4 by text message. “Shingles said the entire Florida pen- ability to handle two disas-
ricane. million in Florida alone. are coming off.” insula will be raked by Ir- ters at the same time.
More than 2.7 million homes About 30,000 people heed- Irma made landfall just af- ma’s right front quadrant — President Donald Trump
and businesses across the ed orders to leave the Keys ter 9 a.m. at Cudjoe Key, the part of a hurricane that approved a disaster dec-
state lost power, and util- as the storm closed in, but about 20 miles outside Key usually brings the strongest laration for Florida, opening
ity officials said it will take an untold number refused, West, forecasters said. Dur- winds, storm surge, rain and the way for federal aid. q

Trump: US a ‘bit lucky’ Irma veered from original course

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE west coast and was barrel- dollars the government
Associated Press ing toward Tampa, which will be asked to spend to
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- hasn’t suffered a direct hit help communities in Florida
dent Donald Trump said from a major hurricane in and other affected states
Sunday that “we may have nearly 100 years. rebuild after Irma, saying
been a little bit lucky” af- He also spoke before state “right now we’re worried
ter Hurricane Irma veered and local officials had be- about lives, not cost.”
from its original course and gun to assess the damage. Trump on Friday signed a
headed along Florida’s “We may have been a little $15.3 billion measure to
west coast, instead of east. bit lucky in that it went on replenish accounts at the
He said that path might be the west and it may not Federal Emergency Man-
less destructive. have been quite as de- agement Agency and
He said Irma will “cost a lot structive, but we’re going speed federal assistance
of money” but that he’s to see,” Trump said, ad- to victims of Hurricane Har-
most concerned at this dressing reporters after re- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk across vey, which struck southeast
point with saving lives. turning to the White House the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. Texas and neighboring
Trump commented hours from Camp David, the 10, 2017. Trump said Sunday that “we may have been a little bit Louisiana towns just three
after the nearly 400-mile- presidential retreat in Mary- lucky” after Hurricane Irma veered from its original course. weeks ago. The president
wide storm blew ashore land where he spent the (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) made two trips to Texas af-
early Sunday in the Florida weekend monitoring the the next five or six hours,” Melania. ter Harvey struck. He said
Keys, made landfall on storm. said Trump, who was ac- Trump deflected ques- Sunday that “we’re going
Marco Island on the state’s “It’s going to play out over companied by his wife, tions about the billions of to Florida very soon.”q