Will Hurricane Irma Be Worse Than Harvey?

A week after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Texas, Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Caribbean. Harvey devastated the area and was listed as a Category 3. Irma, on the other hand, was given the designation of a Category 5 and is one of the strongest storms to hit the Atlantic with winds up to 185 miles per hour. Could it be worse than Harvey?

While the possible devastation Irma could cause is unknown, the reality of Harvey was tragic. Here are some quick numbers: at least 60 people died; 32,000 were displaced; 56,000 people called Houston 911 operators for help; more than 50 inches of water flooded the streets and it will cost billions to rebuild the famous Texan city.

The Caribbean was slated to face “life-threatening storm surge and breaking waves,” the National Hurricane Center said in a 2 p.m. EDT statement Wednesday. Flooding was a possibility.

“The combination of a life-threatening storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water is expected to reach the following HEIGHTS ABOVE GROUND if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide,” the government center wrote.

Rising waters could reach up to 11 feet in the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, except for St. Croix. “The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office,” the National Hurricane Center wrote.

Some Caribbean islands could get as much as 20 inches of rain, which could be deadly. “In all areas this rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides,” the center said.

A state of emergency was declared for Miami-Dade County by Mayor Carlos Gimenez. A mandatory evacuation was issued for Monroe County. “This is a powerful storm which poses a serious threat to our area,” Gimenez said in a statement Wednesday. “I would rather inconvenience residents on this occasion than suffer any loss of life.”

Martin Senterfitt, Monroe County Emergency Management Director, emphasized the possible severity of Irma. “If ever there was a storm to take seriously in the Keys, this is it,” Senterfitt said. “The sooner people leave, the better.”

Florida Gov. Rick Scott activated 100 members of the Florida Air and Army National Guard to prepare for the hurricane. “Per my direction, they will be stationed throughout the state. I have also directed all 7,000 guard members to report for duty this Friday, however, if resources are needed before then, I stand ready to activate as many guard members needed to support our aggressive preparedness actions,” he said in an official statement. “With Hurricane Irma now a category 5 storm, we must do all we can to prepare our families and communities for any potential impact from this major weather event. We do not know the exact path of this storm, but weather can change in an instant and while we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst.”

Forecasters estimated Irma was 120 miles wide, which is roughly the width of Florida State.

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