From CNN Breaking News@VERT to no-reply@siteservices.cnn.com on Thursday, September 07, 2017 16:23:22
Conditions in the Turks and Caicos deteriorated Thursday as deadly and massive Hurricane Irma[1] moved in on the islands -- and continued tracking toward South Florida where it could slam Miami this weekend.
"It has become more likely that Irma will make landfall in southern Florida as a dangerous major hurricane," the National Hurricane Center said.
Irma -- a Category 5 storm churning in the Atlantic with 175 mph sustained winds -- killed at least six people a day earlier as it devastated small northeastern Caribbean islands and left hundreds of thousands in Puerto Rico without power.
Here are the latest developments[2]:ÿ
-- Irma was about 40 miles south of Grand Turk Island around 5 p.m. ET. The storm could cross the Bahamas later Thursday evening.ÿ
-- A new Irma forecast puts Miami in line for a direct hit.ÿ
-- Mandatory evacuations[3] are in place for parts of Florida and are expected to expand. Georgia and South Carolina have issued mandatory evacuation orders that will begin Saturday.
-- 40% of gas stations in Miami-Fort Lauderdale are out of gas. Fuel trucks are getting state police escorts to gas stations to address the shortages.
-- Jose, now a Category 3 storm, became the third major hurricane of the Atlantic basin season.
If you're near Irma's path, here's a checklist[4] to help you prepare. You can continue to track the storm here[5].ÿ
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