Hurricane Irma Updates: Floridians Come Home to Destroyed Houses; Death Count in Florida Reaches 12
Floridians that have returned to their homes find that their houses and possessions have been destroyed by the Category 5 typhoon. Meanwhile, the death count from Hurricane Irma has increased to 12 people in Florida alone.
A quarter chunk of the houses in the Florida Keys have been destroyed by Hurricane Irma, BBC confirmed. Hurricane Irma brought winds of up to 120mph to the state, which caused the destruction of most of the homes and businesses in Florida.
Authorities granted re-entry for residents and business owners in the areas of Key Largo, Tavernier, and Islamorada, according to the Monroe County Facebook post.
The residents and business owners allowed to re-enter the Florida Keys were the ones who had a yellow re-entry sticker or proof that they had residency or owned a business in the said cities.
However, the residents who wished to re-enter were warned that majority of the areas in the city still didn't have electricity and had no water supply yet. Cell service was also greatly affected by Hurricane Irma, and gas stations in the said city were still shut down.
All the bridges to Mile Marker 16 have been secured as safe, while the remaining bridges are still being evaluated.
"The County will continue to evaluate the situation. The goal is to get all residents back into the Keys as quickly," the post reads.
Search and rescue teams are continuing to offer their services and bring emergency supplies of food, water, and medical items in the most damaged areas in Florida.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Irma has been confirmed to cause 12 casualties in Florida, TIME confirmed.
The spokesperson for Florida Gov. Rick Scott, McKinley Lewis, announced that four people died while preparing for the storm, six from car crashes, one was electrocuted by a power line, and the other from a cardiac issue.
President Donald J. Trump will be visiting Florida on Thursday, Sept. 14.