Transcripts For FOXNEWSW The Journal Editorial Report 201709

And alabama as residents brace for lifethreatening high winds, dangerous storm surges and tornadoes. You need to listen to local Evacuation Orders. Im a dad and im a grandfather. I love my family more than anything. I cannot imagine life without them. Do not put your life or your familys life at risk. Right now is the right time to do the right thing for your family. Mike we have live team fox coverage on Hurricane Irma all weekend. Senior meteorologist janice dean has the latest track on the storm, phil keating is in miami beach, but we begin with Adam Houseley in key largo, florida, which is already seeing irmas winds. Adam . Reporter yeah, mike. Were seeing the wind, were seeing some of the storm surge, were also feeling the rain come down. The winds were sustained about an hour ago at 25 miles an hour according to my wind meter, now theyre about 35, gusting over 50. If you look to my right here, were going to come across, this is one of the many marinas here in key largo. The waters bashing up over some of the docks, several are underwater. If you look over or there, theres a houseboat that was tied up with another boat on the other side trying to protect each other, theyve already broken loose and are now up against the docks. One of the lines is gone, theyve only got one line left. I dont give them much more as wind picks up. Across here you can hear popping, too, of some of the overhangs as they rip loose and some of the sails as they come loose from the sailboats. Obviously, the sails were put down but theyre still, obviously, popping off parts of the boat itself. Look to my left, you can see some of the water out here. The water going over the bows of several sailboats already. Again were on the ocean side of key largo, one of the narrowest parts of the island, maybe a mile in width at the most. The highest elevation maybe 5 feet, 6 feet, so this water is expected to come through here, the surge is expected to come through here. This restaurant already underwater. The powers been out since about 10 30 a. M. Local time. Cell service is still up, power is out. We are seeing a few people out and about but not many. I have to tell you, this is the least amount of people ive ever seen out in a hurricane. Most of this area evacuated in the last couple of days. People saw the video, and they saw the pictures coming in from the caribbean, and they saw the damage and the devastation done in those islands. It wasnt harvey, it was those pictures in the caribbean and this storm has scared them away. You can see the winds really picked up. This all started maybe 10 a. M. This morning, 9 30. We had the bands come through, and its garage aally gotten worse and worse and worse and more sustained as were seeing now. This is the thing theyre going to have a problem with. There are so many boats over here. This sailboat, as i walk towards it, its getting tossed around and has been moved. This is a big boat too. This water comes up when it comes up, not if when it comes up, boats like these are going to break loose, and theyre going to come up over the side and into homes, and thats why so many people were told to get out. Well keep you updated, of course, here as winds continue to blow, the rain continues to come. Right now according to the authorities here, i know the track keeps changing, and janice deans going to give us the latest on that, but they believe were going to get the dirty side of the storm and maybe the eye could be as close as isla mirada. I still hear popping, this overhang basically has torn loose from the restaurant, guys. Mike adam, how quickly have conditions deteriorated there in key largo . Reporter they started getting bad around or 9 30, 10 p. M. , and then we noticed it gradually get worse. You can its crazy, you can see the bands on tv at home. If you never been in a hurricane, you can see those bands. Its almost like a band will hit, and youll get a little break, and another band comes a little harder. Its almost like a whip and a whip and a whip. Its a second whip right now coming through, this one much more powerful than the first. And were hours away from getting the bad stuff. As you can see, mike, ill pull my wind meter out, hold on, this is the biggest gust weve had so far. I want to see what this is. We were sustained, right now were sustained, it says a 4. It says 45. So, and its gusting more than that. So thats where were at right now, guys, and its going to be going on for some time. The biggest worry for authorities wasnt just that this storm was going to be a five or a four or even a three, its how big it is. Its that long period that its going to be over land here. Its not coming through quick with one punch,st going to come through slow and really hammer this area for a long time. Theres a lot of trees already down here, and again, as i mentioned, some of the poles are already bending a bit. Significant just tree damage, and we havent hit any of the tough stuff yet, guys. Mike Adam Houseley in key largo which is already taking a beaten. Adam, to you and your crew, be safe. Julie . Julie Hurricane Irmas outer bands already i blowing into the miami metro area, home to some six Million People. And phil keating is live in miami beach where people really are heeding the evacuation warnings, but then the people behind you not so much. Whats going on there, and why are those people still on the beach . Reporter well, its still just Tropical Storm force winds happening here at the beach, and so the worst is really yet to come. Thats going to come over the next 12 hours. And throughout the day theres been a lot of people who did not evacuate coming to the beach just to check it out. A couple of people actually went into the rough surf which is quite dangerous and treacherous right now. Rip tide, rip currents, those are deadly. But nobody from where we could see has ventured out further than, say, knee deep. That would be too dangerous. Duke energy, which Services Power and electricity for much of the northern half of the state, just announcing recently, moments ago, they expect before its all said and done with as this hurricane rakes up primarily the eye going right up the western coast, the gulf side of florida, one million floridians could end up without electricity, and they say they expect Severe Damage, significant damage and people are going to have to wait days, perhaps weeks, perhaps even longer to get electricity restored. Nine florida counties on the southern tip now under a tornado watch. Well take a look at the balm trees as these bands of wind and rain are coming in, starting to bend more, bend more, and then out in the surf, like i said, its dangerous, its choppy. Right now were at low tide. But the Emergency Operations center in Miamidade County, as the storm has shifted to the west and that brings the wind speed projected for Miamidade County and broward and palm beach counties, the most populated in the state, down to maybe a cat one effect but more likely a Tropical Storm effect. Senator marco rubio at a Emergency Operations center briefing earlier today had this to say about taking it seriously. Tropical storm winds, which we are projected with great certainty to be impacted by, those are serious winds. That stuff blows off tiles, it knocks down trees. Dont be the guy who gets killed by the tree, all right . Every year we have it. Dont with the guy or the gall that gets killed by the the guy or the gal that gets killed by the tree. Reporter there have already been 25,000 households in southern florida which lost power, and most likely Florida Power and light isnt going to risk their own crews lives getting around if the winds get much stronger. This strength of wind if you havent put your shutters up yet, too late. Plywood up . Too late. Youre going to have to ride it out. A lot of people from south florida evacuated to the west coast, and now theyre having the evacuate from there and perhaps return back to the east coast on their way back home. Right now as we speak, about 53, 57,000 floridians are stay anything shelters, 321 are open statewide. Many of them are at full capacity, and the governor says theyre opening more and more shelters as the hours approach. Back to you. Julie phil keating, well check back with you in just a little bit. Miami beach, florida, getting the winds that havent even hit the mainland yet. Mike janice dean is live in the Fox Extreme Weather Center with the latest on irmas path. Reporter we get a new track at 5 p. M. Eastern time, and thatll give us the latest track and coordinates. I know Hurricane Hunters have been flying through i ma, and the pressure irma, and the pressure has dropped. We know the storm is strengthening, and we expect a category four upon landfall on the keys and perhaps a second landfall around the naples area tomorrow around dinner time. When you talk about category four hurricanes, weve got andrew, charley, donna and wilma. If folks remember these storms moving towards the naples area, this one actually could be worse than any of them with regards to the fact that its going to be just offshore and bringing the worst of the storm surge in some cases 1015 foot storm surge which would put homes underwater on these very lowlying areas. It is strengthening. You can see that welldefined eye. We had landfall earlier today on cuba that weakened the storm a little bit, but now weve got 90degree temperatures in the waters here of the florida straits, and thats why we think this has the potential for some rapid intensification in the next 12 hours upon landfall in the florida keys somewhere. Hurricane warnings for 17 Million People across the state of florida, watches for the state of georgia. As we expect monday into tuesday we potentially could have a major hurricane just offshore of the panhandle of florida. So this is a big deal. This will be catastrophic in some cases and lifethreatening. Tornado watch in effect until 12 00 midnight for south florida, and you can see that welldefined eye right there. So strengthening storm. Were going to see the potential for these weaker tornadoes that could cause structural damage on top of the storm surge, the flood threat and the potential for Hurricane Force winds, major hurricane, by the way. Future radar shows our landfall, what we expect. Around 8 a. M. Around the keys, theres key west, theres marathon, theres key largo, and perhaps the second landfall we think sometime around 5, 6 p. M. In and around the fort meyers area. Theres naples right there, theres tampa, and that core, a very strong 140 mileperhour sustained winds stretching 70 miles from the center of that storm. So the whole state of florida will see a hurricane, hurricaneforce winds at some point during the duration of this storm. Heres the track, heres the latest track. Again, strengthening to a category four storm over keys tomorrow morning, perhaps making a second landfall around dinner time. And, look, around the big bend of florida, major hurricane. Thats monday in the morning. Look at georgia. Category three. Category three hurricane into georgia possible. Finally, as we get into midweek, this will break down. But, i mean, this really this is going to go down in history as one of the worst hurricanes, unfortunately, to hit the florida area and one of the main reasons why if we have very lowlying areas, especially on the west side of florida. Some of these areas are below sea level. So when youre talking about 812 feet, 510 feet in some cases 15 feet of storm surge, thats that pileup of water from the counterclockwise winds that just slams into the coast. Thats going to inundate all of these areas that are lowlying, and thats why we are so concerned. In some cases the worst Case Scenario for parts of the west coast of florida. Just want to point out, julie and mike, some of the warmest temperatures right now, the fuel that this storm needs are right now ahead of this storm in the florida straits, and thats why we are talking about the potential for a very dangerous category four hurricane, again, making landfall we are pretty certain along the keys tomorrow morning, then a second landfall we think around the naples fort myers area. And we will watch this thing monday, tuesday, even wednesday. Can you imagine, a major hurricane potentially moving into the georgia area . Listen to your local horses, listen to your local authorits, listen to your local forecasters. This is one for the history books already, julie and mike. Mike the whole state of floridas bracing for an attack from Hurricane Irma, and now the southeastern United States really has to be ready. Reporter absolutely. And the rainfall too, we didnt mention that, upwards to a foot of rainfall with this storm. Julie thats basically putting coastlines under the water. This thing has gone from a category four to a three. Make no mistake, a category three whether its three or four, no less of a weakening storm considering 195 miles around the eye of the storm will be expected by Tropical Storm winds. 70 miles in diameter will be affected by Hurricane Force winds, and the storm surge literally is probably the most deadly part of any storm which will wrap around the florida panhandle, hitting the east and the west coast of florida. So anywhere in florida truly people need to hunker down. Authorities, meantime, expanding mandatory Evacuation Orders all over the state. In fact, Hurricane Irma as it shift toss the west, one place is now in fullon preparation mode, and thats the city of clearwater, and thats west of tampa. Joining us now by phone is the major. Mayor, thank you very much for talking to us. Hi, julie. Glad to be with you, although id rather be watching the pitt penn state football game. Julie im sure a lot of people are. And unfortunately, a lot of people are already losing power, they cant watch television in the state of florida, and this hasnt even hit the land. This is one of the largest evacuations in the United States. About a 5. 6 Million People in florida, thats more than 25 of the states population have been ordered to evacuate. Including Pinellas County where mandatory orders are in effect for level a and level b. My question to you so far, have residents been heeding the warnings . They have. We have approximately 260,000 people under an Evacuation Order. I was with the county eoc team this morning, and things are going well many our preparations. Well in our preparations. Right now the sun is shining, its a hot, humid, bright and Beautiful Day in clearwater, but we know that we immediate to get ready now. We need to get ready now. We cant wait. Were closing our beaches down. People have been evacuating. I visited some of the shelters already. And one is full, one just reopened, and were prepared to open others if need be. As yall have been reiterating over and over, do not take this storm lightly. Evacuate, prepare your homes, be mindful of your family and your loved ones. Julie the governor has been doing such an excellent job providing updates to its residents every three hours and sticking to the plan that people need to heed the warnings. By the governor julie sorry, go ahead. No, the governor has crisscrossed the state julie yeah. To reemphasize this message. And i know both our senators and local congressmen have been doing the same thing as are county commissioners and all of our local officials. Julie these deadlines are serious, because once the winds hit, Emergency Rescue teams cannot come and get you, okay . For Pinellas County, for example, by 8 a. M. Tomorrow morning, all of you in level a need to evacuate your homes. If you are in a level a district which includes coastal residents and those in lowlying areas, especially those living in mobile homes in every part of the county k you need to get out. Residents in level b must begin evacuating immediately. You talked about the shelters, many of which are full. I want to talk about shelters which allow pets because we saw in houston so many animals whose bodies are still being pulled from receding waters and a lot of the shelters that accept pets are getting filled the fastest. What is being done in order to extend further shelter for pets . Anyone with a pet, please bring them with you. Do not leave them at home. We have, as i said, the one shelter was full of pets, and its reached its maximum julie yeah, i heard that. They are looking at opening up some other shelters for people with pets. We have people who have been in Nursing Homes and assisted living facilities that have been moved into our shelters. So were, we are doing our best to accommodate everybody and not turn anybody away. Julie okay. So if you show up to a shelter with a pet and its a nonpet shelter, what happens . Do you get turned away . They will probably what we have to realize, julie, is that there are other people who are allergic to pets. Julie of course. So its a health concern. We have to accommodate everybody. And efforts will be made to accommodate everybody. The one shelter that i was at, all the pets were in one area. They had a separate area for people who had service dogs, Service Animals julie sure. So were going to, you know, the county is going to do a good job of trying we need to save lives, and thats the most important thing. Julie human and our fourlegged friends, of course. Exactly. Julie all right. And, again, let me reiterate something that you implied. You know, we all like to think that were invincible, but we cant take a chance with this storm. Julie no, okay. And even though you may be invincible, you know, protect our Public Service personnel. Dont ask them to sky their life for you. Julie all right. Mayor, thank you very much for talking to us, the mayor of clearwater. Thank you very much. Thank you. Julie and, by the way, in Evacuation Order<\/a>s. Im a dad and im a grandfather. I love my family more than anything. I cannot imagine life without them. Do not put your life or your familys life at risk. Right now is the right time to do the right thing for your family. Mike we have live team fox coverage on Hurricane Irma<\/a> all weekend. Senior meteorologist janice dean has the latest track on the storm, phil keating is in miami beach, but we begin with Adam Houseley<\/a> in key largo, florida, which is already seeing irmas winds. Adam . Reporter yeah, mike. Were seeing the wind, were seeing some of the storm surge, were also feeling the rain come down. The winds were sustained about an hour ago at 25 miles an hour according to my wind meter, now theyre about 35, gusting over 50. If you look to my right here, were going to come across, this is one of the many marinas here in key largo. The waters bashing up over some of the docks, several are underwater. If you look over or there, theres a houseboat that was tied up with another boat on the other side trying to protect each other, theyve already broken loose and are now up against the docks. One of the lines is gone, theyve only got one line left. I dont give them much more as wind picks up. Across here you can hear popping, too, of some of the overhangs as they rip loose and some of the sails as they come loose from the sailboats. Obviously, the sails were put down but theyre still, obviously, popping off parts of the boat itself. Look to my left, you can see some of the water out here. The water going over the bows of several sailboats already. Again were on the ocean side of key largo, one of the narrowest parts of the island, maybe a mile in width at the most. The highest elevation maybe 5 feet, 6 feet, so this water is expected to come through here, the surge is expected to come through here. This restaurant already underwater. The powers been out since about 10 30 a. M. Local time. Cell service is still up, power is out. We are seeing a few people out and about but not many. I have to tell you, this is the least amount of people ive ever seen out in a hurricane. Most of this area evacuated in the last couple of days. People saw the video, and they saw the pictures coming in from the caribbean, and they saw the damage and the devastation done in those islands. It wasnt harvey, it was those pictures in the caribbean and this storm has scared them away. You can see the winds really picked up. This all started maybe 10 a. M. This morning, 9 30. We had the bands come through, and its garage aally gotten worse and worse and worse and more sustained as were seeing now. This is the thing theyre going to have a problem with. There are so many boats over here. This sailboat, as i walk towards it, its getting tossed around and has been moved. This is a big boat too. This water comes up when it comes up, not if when it comes up, boats like these are going to break loose, and theyre going to come up over the side and into homes, and thats why so many people were told to get out. Well keep you updated, of course, here as winds continue to blow, the rain continues to come. Right now according to the authorities here, i know the track keeps changing, and janice deans going to give us the latest on that, but they believe were going to get the dirty side of the storm and maybe the eye could be as close as isla mirada. I still hear popping, this overhang basically has torn loose from the restaurant, guys. Mike adam, how quickly have conditions deteriorated there in key largo . Reporter they started getting bad around or 9 30, 10 p. M. , and then we noticed it gradually get worse. You can its crazy, you can see the bands on tv at home. If you never been in a hurricane, you can see those bands. Its almost like a band will hit, and youll get a little break, and another band comes a little harder. Its almost like a whip and a whip and a whip. Its a second whip right now coming through, this one much more powerful than the first. And were hours away from getting the bad stuff. As you can see, mike, ill pull my wind meter out, hold on, this is the biggest gust weve had so far. I want to see what this is. We were sustained, right now were sustained, it says a 4. It says 45. So, and its gusting more than that. So thats where were at right now, guys, and its going to be going on for some time. The biggest worry for authorities wasnt just that this storm was going to be a five or a four or even a three, its how big it is. Its that long period that its going to be over land here. Its not coming through quick with one punch,st going to come through slow and really hammer this area for a long time. Theres a lot of trees already down here, and again, as i mentioned, some of the poles are already bending a bit. Significant just tree damage, and we havent hit any of the tough stuff yet, guys. Mike Adam Houseley<\/a> in key largo which is already taking a beaten. Adam, to you and your crew, be safe. Julie . Julie Hurricane Irma<\/a>s outer bands already i blowing into the miami metro area, home to some six Million People<\/a>. And phil keating is live in miami beach where people really are heeding the evacuation warnings, but then the people behind you not so much. Whats going on there, and why are those people still on the beach . Reporter well, its still just Tropical Storm<\/a> force winds happening here at the beach, and so the worst is really yet to come. Thats going to come over the next 12 hours. And throughout the day theres been a lot of people who did not evacuate coming to the beach just to check it out. A couple of people actually went into the rough surf which is quite dangerous and treacherous right now. Rip tide, rip currents, those are deadly. But nobody from where we could see has ventured out further than, say, knee deep. That would be too dangerous. Duke energy, which Services Power<\/a> and electricity for much of the northern half of the state, just announcing recently, moments ago, they expect before its all said and done with as this hurricane rakes up primarily the eye going right up the western coast, the gulf side of florida, one million floridians could end up without electricity, and they say they expect Severe Damage<\/a>, significant damage and people are going to have to wait days, perhaps weeks, perhaps even longer to get electricity restored. Nine florida counties on the southern tip now under a tornado watch. Well take a look at the balm trees as these bands of wind and rain are coming in, starting to bend more, bend more, and then out in the surf, like i said, its dangerous, its choppy. Right now were at low tide. But the Emergency Operations<\/a> center in Miamidade County<\/a>, as the storm has shifted to the west and that brings the wind speed projected for Miamidade County<\/a> and broward and palm beach counties, the most populated in the state, down to maybe a cat one effect but more likely a Tropical Storm<\/a> effect. Senator marco rubio at a Emergency Operations<\/a> center briefing earlier today had this to say about taking it seriously. Tropical storm winds, which we are projected with great certainty to be impacted by, those are serious winds. That stuff blows off tiles, it knocks down trees. Dont be the guy who gets killed by the tree, all right . Every year we have it. Dont with the guy or the gall that gets killed by the the guy or the gal that gets killed by the tree. Reporter there have already been 25,000 households in southern florida which lost power, and most likely Florida Power<\/a> and light isnt going to risk their own crews lives getting around if the winds get much stronger. This strength of wind if you havent put your shutters up yet, too late. Plywood up . Too late. Youre going to have to ride it out. A lot of people from south florida evacuated to the west coast, and now theyre having the evacuate from there and perhaps return back to the east coast on their way back home. Right now as we speak, about 53, 57,000 floridians are stay anything shelters, 321 are open statewide. Many of them are at full capacity, and the governor says theyre opening more and more shelters as the hours approach. Back to you. Julie phil keating, well check back with you in just a little bit. Miami beach, florida, getting the winds that havent even hit the mainland yet. Mike janice dean is live in the Fox Extreme Weather Center<\/a> with the latest on irmas path. Reporter we get a new track at 5 p. M. Eastern time, and thatll give us the latest track and coordinates. I know Hurricane Hunters<\/a> have been flying through i ma, and the pressure irma, and the pressure has dropped. We know the storm is strengthening, and we expect a category four upon landfall on the keys and perhaps a second landfall around the naples area tomorrow around dinner time. When you talk about category four hurricanes, weve got andrew, charley, donna and wilma. If folks remember these storms moving towards the naples area, this one actually could be worse than any of them with regards to the fact that its going to be just offshore and bringing the worst of the storm surge in some cases 1015 foot storm surge which would put homes underwater on these very lowlying areas. It is strengthening. You can see that welldefined eye. We had landfall earlier today on cuba that weakened the storm a little bit, but now weve got 90degree temperatures in the waters here of the florida straits, and thats why we think this has the potential for some rapid intensification in the next 12 hours upon landfall in the florida keys somewhere. Hurricane warnings for 17 Million People<\/a> across the state of florida, watches for the state of georgia. As we expect monday into tuesday we potentially could have a major hurricane just offshore of the panhandle of florida. So this is a big deal. This will be catastrophic in some cases and lifethreatening. Tornado watch in effect until 12 00 midnight for south florida, and you can see that welldefined eye right there. So strengthening storm. Were going to see the potential for these weaker tornadoes that could cause structural damage on top of the storm surge, the flood threat and the potential for Hurricane Force<\/a> winds, major hurricane, by the way. Future radar shows our landfall, what we expect. Around 8 a. M. Around the keys, theres key west, theres marathon, theres key largo, and perhaps the second landfall we think sometime around 5, 6 p. M. In and around the fort meyers area. Theres naples right there, theres tampa, and that core, a very strong 140 mileperhour sustained winds stretching 70 miles from the center of that storm. So the whole state of florida will see a hurricane, hurricaneforce winds at some point during the duration of this storm. Heres the track, heres the latest track. Again, strengthening to a category four storm over keys tomorrow morning, perhaps making a second landfall around dinner time. And, look, around the big bend of florida, major hurricane. Thats monday in the morning. Look at georgia. Category three. Category three hurricane into georgia possible. Finally, as we get into midweek, this will break down. But, i mean, this really this is going to go down in history as one of the worst hurricanes, unfortunately, to hit the florida area and one of the main reasons why if we have very lowlying areas, especially on the west side of florida. Some of these areas are below sea level. So when youre talking about 812 feet, 510 feet in some cases 15 feet of storm surge, thats that pileup of water from the counterclockwise winds that just slams into the coast. Thats going to inundate all of these areas that are lowlying, and thats why we are so concerned. In some cases the worst Case Scenario<\/a> for parts of the west coast of florida. Just want to point out, julie and mike, some of the warmest temperatures right now, the fuel that this storm needs are right now ahead of this storm in the florida straits, and thats why we are talking about the potential for a very dangerous category four hurricane, again, making landfall we are pretty certain along the keys tomorrow morning, then a second landfall we think around the naples fort myers area. And we will watch this thing monday, tuesday, even wednesday. Can you imagine, a major hurricane potentially moving into the georgia area . Listen to your local horses, listen to your local authorits, listen to your local forecasters. This is one for the history books already, julie and mike. Mike the whole state of floridas bracing for an attack from Hurricane Irma<\/a>, and now the southeastern United States<\/a> really has to be ready. Reporter absolutely. And the rainfall too, we didnt mention that, upwards to a foot of rainfall with this storm. Julie thats basically putting coastlines under the water. This thing has gone from a category four to a three. Make no mistake, a category three whether its three or four, no less of a weakening storm considering 195 miles around the eye of the storm will be expected by Tropical Storm<\/a> winds. 70 miles in diameter will be affected by Hurricane Force<\/a> winds, and the storm surge literally is probably the most deadly part of any storm which will wrap around the florida panhandle, hitting the east and the west coast of florida. So anywhere in florida truly people need to hunker down. Authorities, meantime, expanding mandatory Evacuation Order<\/a>s all over the state. In fact, Hurricane Irma<\/a> as it shift toss the west, one place is now in fullon preparation mode, and thats the city of clearwater, and thats west of tampa. Joining us now by phone is the major. Mayor, thank you very much for talking to us. Hi, julie. Glad to be with you, although id rather be watching the pitt penn state football game. Julie im sure a lot of people are. And unfortunately, a lot of people are already losing power, they cant watch television in the state of florida, and this hasnt even hit the land. This is one of the largest evacuations in the United States<\/a>. About a 5. 6 Million People<\/a> in florida, thats more than 25 of the states population have been ordered to evacuate. Including Pinellas County<\/a> where mandatory orders are in effect for level a and level b. My question to you so far, have residents been heeding the warnings . They have. We have approximately 260,000 people under an Evacuation Order<\/a>. I was with the county eoc team this morning, and things are going well many our preparations. Well in our preparations. Right now the sun is shining, its a hot, humid, bright and Beautiful Day<\/a> in clearwater, but we know that we immediate to get ready now. We need to get ready now. We cant wait. Were closing our beaches down. People have been evacuating. I visited some of the shelters already. And one is full, one just reopened, and were prepared to open others if need be. As yall have been reiterating over and over, do not take this storm lightly. Evacuate, prepare your homes, be mindful of your family and your loved ones. Julie the governor has been doing such an excellent job providing updates to its residents every three hours and sticking to the plan that people need to heed the warnings. By the governor julie sorry, go ahead. No, the governor has crisscrossed the state julie yeah. To reemphasize this message. And i know both our senators and local congressmen have been doing the same thing as are county commissioners and all of our local officials. Julie these deadlines are serious, because once the winds hit, Emergency Rescue<\/a> teams cannot come and get you, okay . For Pinellas County<\/a>, for example, by 8 a. M. Tomorrow morning, all of you in level a need to evacuate your homes. If you are in a level a district which includes coastal residents and those in lowlying areas, especially those living in mobile homes in every part of the county k you need to get out. Residents in level b must begin evacuating immediately. You talked about the shelters, many of which are full. I want to talk about shelters which allow pets because we saw in houston so many animals whose bodies are still being pulled from receding waters and a lot of the shelters that accept pets are getting filled the fastest. What is being done in order to extend further shelter for pets . Anyone with a pet, please bring them with you. Do not leave them at home. We have, as i said, the one shelter was full of pets, and its reached its maximum julie yeah, i heard that. They are looking at opening up some other shelters for people with pets. We have people who have been in Nursing Homes<\/a> and assisted living facilities that have been moved into our shelters. So were, we are doing our best to accommodate everybody and not turn anybody away. Julie okay. So if you show up to a shelter with a pet and its a nonpet shelter, what happens . Do you get turned away . They will probably what we have to realize, julie, is that there are other people who are allergic to pets. Julie of course. So its a health concern. We have to accommodate everybody. And efforts will be made to accommodate everybody. The one shelter that i was at, all the pets were in one area. They had a separate area for people who had service dogs, Service Animals<\/a> julie sure. So were going to, you know, the county is going to do a good job of trying we need to save lives, and thats the most important thing. Julie human and our fourlegged friends, of course. Exactly. Julie all right. And, again, let me reiterate something that you implied. You know, we all like to think that were invincible, but we cant take a chance with this storm. Julie no, okay. And even though you may be invincible, you know, protect our Public Service<\/a> personnel. Dont ask them to sky their life for you. Julie all right. Mayor, thank you very much for talking to us, the mayor of clearwater. Thank you very much. Thank you. Julie and, by the way, in Pinellas County<\/a> this morning, seven a. M. , all the drawbridges, in fact, were locked down so it could i allow for people to get out. Quick viewers note for you, tune in to fox report tonight for more special coverage of Hurricane Irma<\/a>. Ill be joined by bill hemmer, he will be coanchoring with me live from tampa. That begins tonight at 7 p. M. Eastern. Well have a special twohour show with complete coverage as Hurricane Irma<\/a> churns closer and closer to the coast, tampa being one of the areas that will be hard hit. Stay tuned to that. Mike uncertainty in southeast florida as a shift to the west by this hurricane could spare miami a direct hit. How the east coast is preparing for an unpredictable threat. Plus, that shift now making tampa a prime target. Were live from the scene as officials given expanding Evacuation Order<\/a>s. Mike tracking Hurricane Irma<\/a>, mandaty Evacuation Order<\/a>s lifted in parts of southeast florida like port st. Lucie after the storm turned west, but people are still taking extra precautions as the effects of irma are still expected to be severe. Joining us on the phone is florida congressman brian mast who represents southeast coast cities. Congressman, good to talk to you. What are your expectations in your area, and what is your message to your constituents, sir . You know, the number one message is keep doing what youve been doing. Its the Community Coming<\/a> together. Its what ive seen across the breadth of the district and across the breadth of the state. Ive been on the west coast of florida today and the east coast, and thats what you see going on everywhere, people helping each other board up their homes, their businesses, sharing fuel, making generator plans, making sure everybody has enough food or, you know, their grills are ready or ice for their beer or for their food. People are coming together. Mike have most of the people in your area gotten out . You know, a lot of people have evacuated, but many people anticipated that the florida the storm was going to make an east coast florida hit, and they evacuated up to the northwest area of florida, and now those people are finding themselves in the path of the storm and trying to make that decision about whether they want to come back to the east side of the state where it doesnt appear its going to hit as hard. Mike do you worry about people thinking it is safe now as the storm may shift to the west . I do. I absolutely worry about people trying to make that last minute decision about if theyre going to move back to the east coast of florida. One of the things that i saw in my travels today that was really there were very few people out there on the highways moving the way they were in the past couple days. Almost entirely on the highways it was treetrimming trucks, power trucks, linemen that are all coming down from the north in convoys, en masse x. Im talking about hundreds of them all the way down our turnpike, down i95, down i75. Hundreds of them getting ready for what comes after this storm. Not a lot of civilian traffic. Mike i know emergency managements part of your portfolio on capitol hill, are federal, state and local officials coordinating well, in your view . They have done a tremendous job. The governor here in florida, in terms of mobilizing the national guard, making sure theres literally tens of thousands of bottles of water stationed around every different town across the state, making sure that everybody is prepared in their Emergency Operations<\/a> centers, tracking the storm entirely. Everybody is well prepared for this. People have their shutters up, people have their generators ready, you know, people have volunteers standing by for after the storm. The shelters are manned and ready for people both with pets, both without pets, people with special needs. Florida is well prepared, and people have had some tremendous opportunities and some tremendous time to make sure they had the places they could go to to stay safe from the storm. Mike as were looking on the screen at visuals of miami beach, does irma feel different, more dangerous, sir . You know, its gone through different periods where it felt more dangerous and less dangerous based on where you were going to be. There was a time a couple days ago where people saw dipping into the east coast of florida as potentially a cat five, maybe hitting miami, a city that probably right now has 30 highrise cranes sitting in the sky. When you think about a cat five hurricane hitting a city like that, maybe even more than that, thats something that puts a great deal of concern in your mind. And then you see is it shift, and it shifted towards the center of the state where we had to worry about it hitting lake okeechobee almost directly on, and it has a very weak dike at its southern end. If that levee were to fail, it would probably literally kill thousands of people south of that dike if it were to release that lake. And now you see it moving off to the west coast of florida, so youve seen it travel these different courses in its path where its given a lot of different concerns for the state of florida. Mike congressman, we thank you for your time. We wish you and your family the best. Julie many people are worried about a direct hit from Hurricane Irma<\/a>. Plus, fema gearing up, how the federal agency is deploying resources as irma closes in. We have supplies anywhere from alabama to North Carolina<\/a> ready to support florida as well as weve placed three days worth of commodities in the state. So we feel comfortable where we are, but it is going to take us some time to, you know, get through the damage. 4. 3 minutes to yourself. This calls for a taste of cheesecake. New philadelphia cheesecake cups. Rich, creamy cheesecake with real strawberries. Find them with the refrigerated desserts. Copdso to breathe better,athe. I go with anoro. Go your own way copd tries to say, go this way. I say, ill go my own way with anoro. Go your own way oncedaily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators, that Work Together<\/a> to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. Anoro is not for asthma. It contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. The risk is unknown in copd. Anoro wont replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, glaucoma, prostate, bladder, or urinary problems. These may worsen with anoro. Call your doctor if you have worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain while taking anoro. Ask your doctor about anoro. Go your own way get your first prescription free at anoro. Com. You dont let anything lkeep you sidelined. Come on thats why you drink ensure. With 9 grams of protein, and 26 vitamins and minerals. For the strength and energy, to get back to doing what you love. Ensure, always be you. Julie a fox news alert now on what is now one of biggest evacuations in u. S. History. Authorities telling us that more than six Million People<\/a> have been told to leave their homes as path of Hurricane Irma<\/a> moves west, shifting away from miami, putting a new bulls eye on the heavily populated city of tampa. Fox team coverage, Garrett Tenney<\/a> reporting from fema headquarters in d. C. , but first lets go to matt finn who joins us now in tampa where people were actually evacuating to tampa when they thought that the eye of the storm was going to hit in miami. So now youve got all these people in tampa who went there thinking theyd be safer. Reporter yeah, julie, we spoke to a family who say theyre just not sure where to go now because they made the trek all the way up here to tampa, and now tampas fire chief telling us because of the shift in irma heading west, this could be the biggest hurricane to hit tampa in a generation. We are in ybor city which is historically the party city of tampa, and as you can see, the majority of businesses in our line of sight are not boarded up, and weve seen people Walking Around<\/a> leisurely. In fact, we spoke to some people at a bar who said theyre going to stick this one out. I want to introduce you to a business owner. He says he ran out of plywood, is he taped up his family business, and inside hes taken a lot of measures to make his business as safe as possible. Talk to us about whats going on. You shut off the gas and everything . Yes. Hi, how you doing . I wish, first of all, everybody to be safe and sound. We try to leave, but since yesterday we started giving the water and try to see the people that was calling us all the time asking for food and water. So we give some free water. Were going to try to do that also monday. Hopefully, the weather permits. We were trying to board the windows, but we couldnt find any wood, so hopefully somebody going to bring us some wood. We just put some tape like youve seen here. We took out all of the drinks, we empty all the bar and everything just in case the windows break and all that. Were going to be safe. We shut the main gas line because some people are going to be staying in the building because they think this is pretty secure. Its brick building. So reporter we wish you very well. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much, and everybody else, good luck. Reporter just one of the stories, people who cannot find enough supplies to board their businesses up. And in the final hours, theyre preparing as best as they can. Julie matt finn, thank you very much. Mike irma is a big test for fee a manys ability femas ability to handle back to back disasters. Garrett tenney, what is fema doing ahead of Hurricane Irma<\/a> . Reporter well, mike, the top priority is always to preserve and to protect life. So over the last few days weve heard them stressing folks under an Evacuation Order<\/a> need to get out. Looking ahead though, femas anticipating a very long and mass irv massive recovery effort. They have more than seven million meals and nine million liters of water in staging areas ready to the go. Earlier today, brock long said it could take several days to get those supplies to the folks that need it. We feel comfortable where we are, but it is going the take us some time to, you know, get through the damage, move the debris out of the Roadway Systems<\/a> and support the state with points of distribution when it comes to commodities. Reporter and at this point you have folks from nearly every department and agency in the government that are here at femas headquarters to help coordinate this response and wait and see what they can do to help. Mike . Mike garrett, the geography is different between texas and florida. How will this response be different than what we saw following Hurricane Harvey<\/a> . Reporter yeah, very different. You know, one of the remarkable things we saw this harvey was how folks ca came from a across the region, the cajun navy amongst many others. But in florida its going to be a much different scene. Earlier today i was talking with the commandant of the u. S. Coast guard, and he said just based on the geography and the nature of this storm, its going to be covering the entire state and going from bottom to top. So its going to be very difficult to have those areas that are unaffected where folks can come from and work their way to be able to help others, and its going to take a lot longer to get there meaning folks that have not evacuated could be on their own for at least a couple of days. As soon as that storm clears and that we can find a base that we can operate from or we can find fuel, we will be there. Were going to have to wait to see what that impact is. Rest assured, as soon as irma a makes impact, we will come in behind with c130 aircraft, well work work with the state, with governor scott, and start doing those initial assessmentings. But were going to be in an emerging response phase for days, for days with this response. Reporter the commandant told me earlier this week he ordered all of the coast guards personnel that was in texas assisting with the Harvey Relief<\/a> effort toss get out, head this way to the southeast so that they can be prepared to do it all again with irma. And he said right now they have 40 ships that are in the gulf, that are following behind irma so that they have teams and supplies ready to go as soon as that storm passes. Mike Garrett Tenney<\/a> on the federal preparations at fema headquarters. Garrett, many thanks. Julie . Julie the army corps of engineers is also closely working with fema as Hurricane Irma<\/a> could cause widespread Power Outages<\/a> and structural damage all across the state of florida. Major general don reilly is a retired army corps of engineer Deputy Commanding<\/a> general and deputy chief of engineers. Hes also a Senior Adviser<\/a> for dawson and associates. He joins me now. Thank you, sir, for joining us. Thank you, julie. I appreciate the invitation. Julie so the primary risks are as follows wind damage, tornadoes and a massive storm surge. So how are your people, the people of miami beach, handling this . Are these buildings built to code since 1992 when hurricane andrew blew through . A lot of building codes actually changed for homes especially for the rooftops, specifically because they couldnt sustain category four winds. So miami beach, how does it, how does it hold up . Locally, the decisions on where people build, of course, zoning laws are a local decision, and then building codes are the responsibility of the state. But the federal government is concerned about and specifically the corps of engineers is the movement of water around the state, in particular lake okeechobee which the dike around lake o is a corps of engineers dike. And they are watching that very closely. If that fills to a greater degree than anticipated, then theyll be concerned. They have, in preparation for the storm, have lowered the lake levels, and then its less than 14 feet now. They have had 18 feet of water in it before without any problem. They do have a couple of construction sites that they are concern about overwashing, but back to your original question about miami beach, those structures right along the beach are or certainly in the keys and tampa, in sanibel and naping, they could take Severe Damage<\/a> due to storm surge. Julie yeah. And a lot of them, obviously, facing the ocean are all windows. Hopefully, most of those are covered up, boarded up, but some arent. And when those windows break, thats when you have flying glass and the superior of homes completely gutted. Right. Julie i want to talk more about the storm surge, because this is so serious. The ocean water is deadly. Its among one of the deadliest symptoms of any hurricane packing winds such as Hurricane Irma<\/a>. Theyre associated with persistent winds and low pressure. They could actually push the waves 612 feet of water into southwest florida sunday morning with a storm surge of about 510 feet. Now, that doesnt even take into account high tide, nor does it take waves on top of those storm surges. What type of flooding are the areas of florida facing, and maybe tell us which areas of florida are going to face the most severe flooding. Well, i think as it looks now, the cities on the west naples, tampa, st. Petersburg and especially those that have a bay, bay inlets, the water can surge up into there. I understand high tide will be about the same time it arrives tomorrow morning julie not good. What we saw in katrina, those houses along the beach were essentially wiped out. There was nothing left but their foundation, and that was a 28foot storm surge with the waves on top of that. So its very highly destruct i have storm surge right along the coast. Julie Major General<\/a> don reilly, thank you very much and good luck to you. Thank you, julie. Mike thousands of americans recovering from Hurricane Irma<\/a>s direct hit to the Virgin Islands<\/a>. How the u. S. Militarys helping storm victims there. Given the level of the devastation across the population and the two islands, we do not have and were very thankful for that we do not have any massive loss of life, but we have really horrible destruction. I accept i dont bike as far as i used to. I even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. But no matter where i ride, i go for my best. So if theres Something Better<\/a> than warfarin, ill go for that too. Eliquis. Eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus had less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis had both. Dont stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily. And it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Im still going for my best. And for eliquis. Ask your doctor about eliquis. I expect things to last [kina looong time. As, and so should you. Midas has a lifetime guarantee on these parts. Thats right. On things like struts, brakes, shocks. All kinds of automobile parts. [king] guaranteed for life. Does he turn everything to gold . [kinbrakes. Not everything. [kinbrakes. Not everything. [kinstruts. Luckily, hes not a dog person. [kinshocks. Luckily, hes not a dog person. At midas were always a touch better with limited lifetime guarantees on select parts, complimentary courtesy checks and more. Book an appointment at midas. Com mike as Hurricane Irma<\/a> takes a turn toward floridas west coast, thousands of americans on the Virgin Islands<\/a> are still assessing the damage there. At least four people died there after irma made landfall wednesday. A tourist who rode out the hurricane describes what it was like at height of the storm. Its really creepy many that second floor hallway where the rooms were, because you could feel the walls moving, vibrating. Put your head against the wall, and itd just vibrate. Mike joining me now is a freelance journalist whos there right now. Kelsey, paint a picture for us. What are you seeing . How bad is it there . Hi, mike. Edtoday people are still pretty orderly, but every direction you look there are roofs missing, there are, theres brush everywhere. Most of the roads were cleared the day after but just enough for one car coto pass, and there are car to pass, and there are power lines that are balanced on trees just to keep them off the the way that people put up themselves just to but all the power lines are off. Its still pretty dangerous driving around mick mick we had mike we had a question from twitter asking they would love to the know how residents would get off the islands, any transport to puerto rico or neighboring islands at this point . This morning when i woke up, we saw a fleet of military boats coming from puerto rico, so we know that some people were taken from the Marriott Hotel<\/a> on the south side of the island via boat back to puerto rico. And there is a ferry that runs [audio difficulty] and st. Thomas about 40 miles north of or south of st. Thomas and an area that was less impacted. So people are venturing there the get off the island. And then theres also mike did we lose our connection . That gives you a sense of how bad things are there in the u. S. Virgin islands. We just lost the connection with kelsey. We thank her for her time and wish her and the folks there in the Virgin Islands<\/a> the very best. Julie thats been a huge issue there for the people, because they have had no cell service or really any connection with the rest of the United States<\/a>. But we will continue to watch that. Meantime, more live team crage of Hurricane Irma<\/a> as the outer bands of this massive storm reach florida. Well go live to miami beach, and were also tracking the storms path for you. Stay with us. Fortunately, theres Rocket Mortgage<\/a> by quicken loans. Apply simply. Understand fully. Mortgage confidently. But prevagen helps your brain with an ingredient originally discovered. In jellyfish. In clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve shortterm memory. Prevagen. The name to remember. Endless shrimp is back at red lobster. And we went all out to bring you even more incredible shrimp and new flavors. Like new Nashville Hot<\/a> shrimp, drizzled with sweet amber honey, and new grilled mediterranean shrimp finished with a savory blend of green onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Feeling hungry yet . Good, cause theres plenty more where these came from. Like garlic shrimp scampi, and other classics you love. As much as you want, however you want them. But hurry, endless shrimp wont be here long. For tech advice. Dell Small Business<\/a> advisor as much as you want, however you want them. With one phone call, i get products that suit my needs and i get back to business. Julie as irma closes in on florida, we are learning of Environmental Concerns<\/a> that could actually lead to very Serious Health<\/a> problems in texas following Hurricane Harvey<\/a>. Will carr joins us live from houston with more there. Hi, will. Reporter hey there, julie. When youre walking through the streets here in west houston, you can see exactly how high the water is. Check out this babble goal, you can see this basketball goal, theres still debris hanging in the nets, and it comes as the homeowners, street after street, are having to pull their prized possessions outside and pile them up after they were soaked in these floods. The family that lives here tells me theyve had more than 50 volunteers show up, people who are friends and family, members of their church. But also people they dont even know, strangers walking up and asking if they need a car or if they need a place to stay. And when you walk inside, you can understand why. Theyve had to gut their home. You can hear the hammering, you can hear the fans as their trying theyre trying to dry the mildew. Theyve had to rip out their sheetrock and the walls here as they continue to try to recover. Plus theres still additional problems. Nearly 10 of the citys Drinking Water<\/a> system are still shut down. That means that residents are either having to boil their water or theyre trying to drink out of bottled water for at least the immediate future. Julie. Julie all right. Will carr, thank you. Mike. Mike Hurricane Irma<\/a> skirting the coast of cuba on a track toward the florida keys. Senior meteorologist janice dean will have the or very latest on the path of the storm and when its expected to make landfall. What did you think when i asked you these questions . I had never met anybody from the navy thats why i was, like, asking you all kinds of questions. Yeah. I honestly didnt know what the marines did. Everybodys experience is unique. You got musicians, you have cooks, you have admin people. I just think people should be more open minded. Just get to know the person. Been trying to prepare for this day. And im still not ready. The reason im telling you this is that there will be moments in your life that. Youll never be ready for. Your little girl getting married being one of them. Wise man, im nervous about things i cant control. Affecting my good credit score. I see youve planted an uncertainty tree. Chop that thing down. The clarity you seek. Lies within the creditwise app from capital one. Creditwise helps you protect your credit. And its completely free for everyone. Its free for everyone . Do hawks use the stars to navigate . I dont know. Aw, i thought you did. I dont know either. Either way its free for everyone. Cool. Whats in your wallet . Fox news alert, Hurricane Irma<\/a> a cat 3 storm, expected to strengthen as it bears down in the florida keys nearly 7 Million People<\/a>, this is historic told to evacuate ahead of this massive storm. Hello, everyone, welcome to another hour in americas headquarters im julie banderas. Winds more than 100 Miles Per Hour<\/a> and now governor rick scott is issuing one last warning saying, irma is on track to be the most catastrophic storm the state has ever seen. We have live Fox Team Coverage<\/a> with senior meteorologist janice dean in the foxweter center. Phil keaton in miami beach. We begin with adam in miami, florida. Adam. The conditions continue to worsen. We are now on the edge on the ocean side. As we look to left, smashed up under the shore. There are a bunch of others we have known on very weak lines at h hour, we are not close to get to heavy stuff yet. If theres glimmer of good news here is the storm continues to trend west. Obviously we wont get the eye or the wall of the eye which people were word about, however, that still means we are getting the dirty side of the storm, so its called which is the rough side. Theres white caps all throughout the area. We keep going to the left, the two boats have broken loose, one line holding them together. You can see as the night moves on, the wind will batter the boats together. The owner of the marina says that they know who owns the boats and they are not going to look good in a few hours. We are starting to see damage to those kinds of cloth coverings. Sails are obviously down that are teared and ripped as the wind comes through. We are getting some rain, not as hard as it was last hour. Although its coming down now. A lot of water starting to pick up some of the lower areas. The wind according to my wind meter are sustained 35 to 40 and gusting 50. Again, we are still hours away. We talked to locals, its the same for a couple of days that these kinds of conditions, they are going to worsen and stay for maybe as long as 36 hours. When you put those kinds of conditions into this type of area, youre going to have a loft damage and theres still worry about storm surge, as far as the storm moves, as it continues to drift west, the storm surge worry here lessons a bit although we are seeing the water kick off some of the jetties, guys. Adam, thank you very much. Julie. Julie we are joined by brock long, fema administrator to talk to us about everything going on in florida from Power Outages<\/a>, storm surge, some","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"archive.org","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"800","height":"600","url":"\/\/ia600807.us.archive.org\/7\/items\/FOXNEWSW_20170909_190000_The_Journal_Editorial_Report\/FOXNEWSW_20170909_190000_The_Journal_Editorial_Report.thumbs\/FOXNEWSW_20170909_190000_The_Journal_Editorial_Report_000001.jpg"}},"autauthor":{"@type":"Organization"},"author":{"sameAs":"archive.org","name":"archive.org"}}],"coverageEndTime":"20240617T12:35:10+00:00"}