Hurricane Irma weakens, Florida still in deluge

Jacksonville: Hurricane Irma weakens but it is still lashing Florida. The storm pushed inland on Monday with winds and floodwaters creating hazards even for rescuers trying to help troubled residents.

Irma was downgraded from category 5 to a tropical storm, but it still had winds near hurricane force. Its outer bands were also blowing into Georgia, where the storm’s center was expected to arrive later in the day, reports DC.

Also Read: Hurricane Irma makes second landfall in Florida, batters Naples

The city of Jacksonville in northeast Florida ordered urgent evacuations on Monday. Earlier, millions were told to evacuate and leave their home, as hurricane Irma was to enter Florida.

Hurricane Irma knocked out power to nearly 4 million homes and businesses in Florida on Sunday, threatening millions more as it crept up the state’s west coast, and full restoration of service could take weeks, local electric utilities said. 

Indian-Americans in Atlanta and Georgia pooled their resources to help several million people from Florida affected by the storm.

At least 10 people were killed in Cuba by hurricane Irma, most of them crushed by collapsing buildings, authorities said on Monday, bringing the death toll from the ferocious storm to 38 in the Caribbean.