https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/hurricane-irma-skirts-puerto-rico-lashing-it-powerful-winds-flooding-n799086
Photo from @RyanMaue
"Polar orbiter satellite image of Hurricane #Irma at its apex
(T 7.6) around 7 pm Wednesday. As strong as a hurricane gets"
..might (most likely) be heading towards Florida, where there were already reports of inflated gas prices...
http://www.reuters.com/article/storm-irma-chevron/consumers-complaining-of-inflated-gas-prices-at-chevron-in-florida-state-ag-idUSL2N1LO0XM
"WASHINGTON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday her office had received 45 complaints of inflated prices at Chevron gasoline stations in the southern part of the state where consumers are bracing for Hurricane Irma, expressing concern the company may be price gouging.
“You cannot inflate prices during a time of a hurricane for essential commodities -- food, water, fuel, etcetera,” she told Fox News channel. “So Chevron, if you’re watching me right now, you need to call us and tell us why your prices are inflated in South Florida, because in Tallahassee they’re not, in Tampa they’re not, in South Florida they’re high and there’s no excuse for that.” (Reporting by Tim Ahmann)"
... as well as reports of airlines charging as much as $3000 for plane tickets out of South Florida:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article171497187.html
"Miami native Lissette Diaz is frantically trying to fly her family out from South Florida in case Hurricane Irma hits. But it may cost her thousands of dollars.
By Wednesday, prices for flights out of South Florida skyrocketed as high as more than $3,000 per person for domestic flights that would otherwise cost a fraction of the price during what’s typically one of the slowest times of the year for air travel."
However, as problematic as inflated gas prices & plane tickets are, it's nothing compared to the catastrophic damage Irma could cause in Central & Southern Florida (NYTimes reported today):
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/climate/florida-hurricane-irma-damage.html
"WASHINGTON — The last time a Category 5 hurricane ripped through Florida, it was so destructive that meteorologists retired its name forever. That storm, Hurricane Andrew, made landfall southwest of Miami in 1992, killing 65 people, destroying 63,000 homes and inflicting $26.5 billion in economic losses.
But if a similar-sized hurricane were to strike Florida today in the same spot, it would be far more catastrophic — causing up to $100 billion in damage, according to a recent analysis by Swiss Re, the reinsurance firm. That’s even after accounting for the fact that South Florida has strengthened its building codes since Andrew.
The reason is simple: Central and South Florida have grown at a breathtaking pace since 1990, adding more than 6 million people. Glittering high-rises and condominiums keep sprouting up along Miami Beach and other coastal areas. A lot more valuable property now sits in harm’s way."
Now, all we can do is wait. & hope Florida somehow avoids a direct hit.
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