Irma becomes most powerful Atlantic hurricane hitting north of the Caribbean

by Robin Eberhardt - 09/06/17 8:57 AM ET

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Irma will be the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever to hit north of the Caribbean and east of the Gulf of Mexico.

Bloomberg reports that the Category 5 storm is expected to hit Florida and parts of the Caribbean this week, with winds reaching 186 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“The dangerousness of this event is like nothing we’ve ever seen,” Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello told The Associated Press. “A lot of infrastructure won’t be able to withstand this kind of force.”

{mosads}Russello said Irma will be an “extremely dangerous storm” and warned those in its path to prepare for what he expects to be a deadly storm.

“The decisions that we make in the next couple of hours can make the difference between life and death,” Rossello said.

The House on Wednesday is expected to pass an initial package of help for communities hit by Hurricane Harvey, which rampaged through Texas and Louisiana late last month.

Irma could leave more damage to clean up and raise the tab much higher on hurricane damage this year.

Four other storms in the Atlantic have had comparatively strong winds, but they were in the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico, the AP reported.

President Trump on Tuesday approved a “pre-landfall emergency” for Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) also declared a state of emergency for all 67 counties in the state and said that mandatory evacuations will begin in some parts of the states Wednesday morning.

Trump on Wednesday morning said he is watching Irma closely and that his team is preparing for the storm.

“Watching Hurricane closely. My team, which has done, and is doing, such a good job in Texas, is already in Florida. No rest for the weary!” Trump tweeted.

“Hurricane looks like largest ever recorded in the Atlantic!”

Watching Hurricane closely. My team, which has done, and is doing, such a good job in Texas, is already in Florida. No rest for the weary!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017