Category 5 Hurricane Irma Threatens Florida

Hurricane Irma, now a category 5 storm, threatens Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and may threaten Florida if the 5-day forecasted track is accurate. The National Hurricane Center says that Hurricane Irma is an "extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane and preparations in the hurricane warning area in U.S. territories and surrounding nations should be rushed to completion."

A state of emergency was declared for Florida on Monday by Florida Governor Rick Scott. States of emergency are also in effect for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Culebra, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Vieques.

ContactRelief is monitoring the storm's progress and will issue recommendations to contact centers as the storm approaches landfall.