MIAMI (AP) – Once-fearsome Hurricane Irma weakened Monday to a still-dangerous tropical storm as it spread high winds and rain across the Southeast, one day after engulfing most of the Florida peninsula. Both of Florida’s coasts were pounded by storm surges, thousands of its residents remain in shelters and millions of homes and businesses around several states are without power.
IRMA, WHAT’S NEXT?
Still hundreds of miles (kilometers) wide, the huge storm system is dumping very heavy rain into southern parts of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama with Mississippi and Tennessee to follow. By Monday afternoon, the former Category 5 hurricane had top sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) as it continued weakening while heading into south Georgia. The storm’s core was centered about 2 p.m. EDT about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south-southeast of Albany, Georgia.
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THE DAMAGE