Millions without power in Florida as Irma heads north
Parts of Florida could be without power for weeks, after Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc throughout the state.
Miami International Airport is closed after suffering ‘significant water damage throughout’, according to its CEO Emilio Gonzalez.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Orlando and Tampa are among the dozen or more other airports in the region that will remain closed today.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest, has already cancelled nearly 900 flights for today as Irma continues north.
The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for Atlanta for Monday afternoon.
An estimated five million properties lost power in Florida on Sunday as intense winds brought down trees and power lines and the streets of downtown Miami resembled the canals of Venice.
Florida Power & Light said it had nearly one million customers without power in Miami-Dade County alone, and at least 3.4 million overall.
Company spokesman Chris McGrath said: "We think this could be the most challenging restoration in the history of the US."
The downgraded Category 2 storm has weakened but is still ‘dangerous and life-threatening’.
As of midnight Sunday, five people were reported dead.
Irma has now passed through Florida’s biggest city, but Miami International Airport will stay closed for the rest of the day after suffering ‘significant water damage throughout’, according to airport CEO
It will assess the damage before deciding if flights can resume on Tuesday.
Orlando’s big theme parks including Disney are shut up and Gatorland has promised none of its alligators will be able to get out.
Ponds and lakes holding the gators are ringed by eight-feet high fences and a perimeter fence around the entire 110-acre park.
"If you see an alligator swimming on the street, it’s not ours," Gatorland’s Mike Hileman told reporters.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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