After rampaging across Cuba and other Caribbean islands, Hurricane Irma, now a Category 3 storm, smashed into the coast of Florida, sowing destruction in its wake and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.
Videos posted on Twitter by Miami residents and media reporters show truly apocalyptic sights as the raging tempest tears roofs off buildings and turns city streets into rivers.
Roof of a home in #Miami coast being ripped off by powerful #HurricaneIrma winds. Terrifying stuff. These winds are no joke. #Irma pic.twitter.com/P0kMIKqlf6
— Josh Benson (@WFLAJosh) 10 сентября 2017 г.
#HurricaneIrma is quickly turning Miami streets into rivers. pic.twitter.com/ZYkwiJ0Rbl
— Omar Lewis (@OlewisON7) 10 сентября 2017 г.
Another video shows boats being slammed into the piers and sinking in Aventura.
Boats slamming into docks and sinking in #Aventura. #HurricaneIrma lashed out on #Miami. #Tampa next. (H/T Eduardo Mendoza) #Irma pic.twitter.com/jkfqnjCWIV
— Josh Benson (@WFLAJosh) 10 сентября 2017 г.
The extent of the damage wrought by Hurricane Irma remains unclear, but it’s safe to say it will take time to get things back to normal in Florida.
#HurricaneIrma gives #Florida coast-to-coast pummellinghttps://t.co/jjr9diMjek pic.twitter.com/ltGpN4ytJT
— Free Mind (@freemindcouk) 11 сентября 2017 г.
At one point Hurricane #Irma covered the entire state of Florida. pic.twitter.com/VnINXgJz0E
— Good Morning America (@GMA) 11 сентября 2017 г.
#Brickell Ave looks like an ocean. Rivers of water taking over Miami's financial district. Unprecedented flooding. #hurricaneIrma #irma pic.twitter.com/ngm9fo1b2x
— marina portnaya (@portnayanyc) 10 сентября 2017 г.
#BREAKING: #Hurricane 🌀 #Irma temporarily displaces the ocean in Tampa Bay, #Florida.#Florida #Miami #HurricaneIrma
— Rami aqil (@ramiaqil) 10 сентября 2017 г.
(Via Breaking911) pic.twitter.com/Fzd3RSR3Zl
Hurricane Irma is one of the longest lived since satellite-based observations began in 1966, existing for almost nine days, and is expected to last another day at a minimum. The enormous storm, whacking some areas with Category 3, 120 mph winds, is spreading tropical storm force gusts as far as 220 miles from its center as it moves across the US mainland.