Hazel Salazar walks her two small dogs past boarded up store front windows on the beach side in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, as Hurricane Irma approaches. Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel... (Associated Press) 
 
 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Irma began its assault on Florida early Sunday with the storm's northern eyewall reaching the lower Florida Keys as a powerful Category 4 storm. 
 
 Irma lashed the area with maximum sustained winds near 130 mph (215 kph) and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was expected to remain a powerful storm as it moved through the Florida Keys and near the state's west coast. 
 
 As of 7 a.m. EDT Sunday, the hurricane was centered about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south-southeast of Key West, Florida, and was moving northwest at 8 mph (13 kph). The Key West International Airport measured sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) with a gust of up to 70 mph (113 kph), according to the hurricane center. 
 
 Tens of thousands of people huddling in shelters watched for updates as the storm swung to the west, now potentially sparing Tampa as well Miami the catastrophic head-on blow forecasters had been warning about for days. 
 
 In the Tampa Bay area, access to all of Pinellas County's barrier islands, including the popular spring break destination of Clearwater Beach, was shut off. 
 
 The leading edge of the immense storm bent palm trees and spit rain across South Florida, knocking out power to more than 430,000 homes and businesses, as the eye approached Key West. 
 
 As the hurricane's eye approached the Florida Keys early Sunday, 60-year-old Carol Walterson Stroud and her family were huddled in a third floor apartment at a senior center in Key West. 
 
 "We are good so far," she said in a text message just before 5:30 a.m. "It's blowing hard." 
 
 Stroud was with her husband, Tim Stroud, and granddaughter, Sierra Costello. Their dog Rocky was also riding out the storm. 
 
 Stroud said she planned to step outside once the eye of the hurricane passed over. She said she has stood in the eye of a hurricane before and it's "total peace and quiet." 
 
 Florida Gov. Rick Scott had warned residents in the state's evacuation zones Saturday that "this is your last chance to make a good decision." About 6.4 million people were told to flee. 
 
 But because the storm is 350 to 400 miles wide, the entire Florida peninsula was exposed. Forecasters said the greater Miami area of 6 million people could still get life-threatening hurricane winds and storm surge of 4 to 6 feet. 
 
 Irma was at one time the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the open Atlantic with a peak wind speed of 185 mph (300 kph) last week. It left more than 20 people dead across the Caribbean and as it moved north over the Gulf of Mexico's bathtub-warm water of nearly 90 degrees, it was expected to regain strength. 
 
 Meteorologists predicted Irma would plow into the Tampa Bay area Monday morning. The area has not been struck by a major hurricane since 1921, when its population was about 10,000, National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said. Now around 3 million people live there. 
 
 The latest course also still threatens Naples' mansion- and yacht-lined canals, Sun City Center's retirement homes, and Sanibel Island's shell-filled beaches. 
 
 Irma's course change caught many off guard and triggered a major round of last-minute evacuations in the Tampa area. Many businesses had yet to protect windows with plywood or hurricane shutters. Some locals grumbled about the forecast, even though Florida's west coast had long been included in the zone of probability. 
 
 "For five days, we were told it was going to be on the east coast, and then 24 hours before it hits, we're now told it's coming up the west coast," said Jeff Beerbohm, a 52-year-old entrepreneur in St. Petersburg. "As usual, the weatherman, I don't know why they're paid." 
 
 Nearly the entire Florida coastline remained under hurricane watches and warnings, and the latest projections could shift again, sparing or savaging other parts of the state. 
 
 Forecasters warned of storm surge as high as 15 feet (4.5 meters). 
 
 "This is going to sneak up on people," said Jamie Rhome, head of the hurricane center's storm surge unit. 
 
 The westward shift prompted Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, to order 260,000 people to leave, while Georgia scaled back evacuation orders for some coastal residents. Motorists heading inland from the Tampa area were allowed to drive on the shoulders. 
 
 At Germain Arena not far from Fort Myers, on Florida's southwestern corner, thousands waited in a snaking line for hours to gain a spot in the hockey venue-turned-shelter. 
 
 "We'll never get in," Jamilla Bartley lamented in the parking lot. 
 
 The governor activated all 7,000 members of the Florida National Guard, and 30,000 guardsmen from elsewhere were on standby. 
 
 In the Orlando area, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World all were closing Saturday. The Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando airports shut down. 
 
 Given its mammoth size and strength and its course up the peninsula, it could prove one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to hit Florida, and inflict damage on a scale not seen here in 25 years. 
 
 Hurricane Andrew smashed into suburban Miami in 1992 with winds topping 165 mph (265 kph), damaging or blowing apart over 125,000 homes. The damage in Florida totaled $26 billion, and at least 40 people died. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Reeves reported from Naples. Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Terry Spencer in Palm Beach County; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee; Terrance Harris and Claire Galofaro in Orlando; and Jason Dearen, Jennifer Kay and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report. 
 
 ___ 
 
 HURRICANE NEWSLETTER — Get the best of the AP's all-formats reporting on Irma and Harvey in your inbox: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb ||||| Hurricane Irma is barreling up the Sunshine State, bringing heavy rainfall and powerful winds. The deadly hurricane, which is now a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, was moving east of the Tampa metro area. 
 
 Interested in Irma? Add Irma as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Irma news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest 
 
 ABC News has confirmed a fifth storm-related fatality early Monday morning after a person was found dead in a home in Shark Key on Sunday. Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, has reported two deaths. Hardee County has also reported two deaths so far and one person died in a single-vehicle crash in Orange County. At least 27 people were killed in the Caribbean. 
 
 Millions of Floridians are under orders to evacuate, and many are desperately seeking shelter from the storm. One Naples resident told ABC News she was turned away from two shelters before she and her 10-year-old son were finally accepted at one. 
 
 Some 3.5 million Floridians were without power on Sunday. 
 
 "We have a dog and there were not that many shelters that accepted dogs," she said, adding, "We didn't want to be that far away from our home." While she and her son stay inside the shelter, her husband is hunkering down with their dog at home. 
 
 Irma made its second landfall on Marco Island along the southwest Florida coast this afternoon with 115 mph winds after battering the Florida Keys earlier today. 
 
 ABC News 
 
 Beyond the winds and rain that Irma is bringing, the storm surge is also expected to be devastating -- in Naples, waters rose four feet in just 30 minutes. 
 
 How Key West and Miami fared 
 
 The Florida Keys were hit hard with wind gusts of 120 mph in parts and 89 mph winds in Key West. 
 
 Officials in the Florida Keys said that residents who evacuated should not return until further notice. 
 
 Joe Raedle/Getty Images 
 
 From there, the storm lashed Miami with winds whipping around high-rise buildings at speeds approaching 100 mph, the National Weather Service said. Two cranes collapsed in the city and a 94 mph wind gust was recorded at Miami International Airport. 
 
 Along with the strong gusts of wind, water rushed through Miami's streets. One resident said streets were flooded up to the newspaper stands and the winds were so powerful that windows cracked from the sheer force of the gusts. 
 
 The CEO of Miami International Airport said the airport "sustained significant water damage" with wind gusts of nearly 100 mph. 
 
 History of Hurricane #Irma: 1 September 2017 - 10 September 2017 #GOES16 pic.twitter.com/Z53paEmpIY — NASA SPoRT (@NASA_SPoRT) September 11, 2017 
 
 One source of concern before the storm was how the numerous construction cranes in Miami and neighboring cities would fare in the high winds. 
 
 The Associated Press is reporting that three cranes have collapsed as of Sunday night: two in Miami and one in Fort Lauderdale. 
 
 Naples pelted with wind and rain 
 
 Visibility became poor in Naples this afternoon as the eye of the storm neared. 
 
 Some now sheltered in Naples had fled from the eastern side of Florida after it was first forecast that Irma would hit the eastern coastline. The mayor of Naples said those in hotels around the city were ordered out of common areas and into their rooms. 
 
 After the bulk of the storm passed over the city, Naples officials said that the city's water distribution lines have been broken so residents are being told to boil the water that is coming out of taps. 
 
 David Goldman/AP 
 
 Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned residents of dangerous storm surges that could reach 10 to 15 feet above sea level in the Naples area. 
 
 "Do not think the storm is over when the wind slows down," Scott said Saturday. The dangerous storm surge "will rush in and could kill you." 
 
 There have already been four deaths reported in Florida, including a man in Monroe County, which encompasses Key West. He was killed after he lost control of a truck that carried a generator as winds whipped at tropical-storm strength, officials said. 
 
 Two other people, a sheriff's deputy and a corrections officer, died from a two-car crash in the rain in Hardee County, which is about 60 miles inland from Sarasota, officials said. 
 
 The fourth fatality was reported in Orange County, which is near Orlando, after a car crash that was deemed related to the hurricane. 
 
 The deputy, identified as Julie Bridges, was a 13-year veteran of the county force, said Hardee County Sheriff Arnold Lanier. She was heading home after a night shift, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The second victim was a sergeant at the Hardee Correctional Institute who had been on his way to work, the highway patrol said. 
 
 Tampa's mayor issues stern warning 
 
 Tampa, which is now experiencing wind gusts of over 50 mph, is in the predicted path of the storm, and the city's mayor Bob Buckhorn did not mince words when he warned residents on Twitter earlier today. 
 
 "We are about to get punched in the face by this storm. We need to be prepared," he wrote. 
 
 We are about to get punched in the face by this storm. We need to be prepared. — Bob Buckhorn (@BobBuckhorn) September 10, 2017 
 
 He later spoke to ABC News and said that Tampa, which is naturally low-lying and on the Gulf Coast, has taken precautions to prepare. 
 
 "I think we're about as ready as any city could be, given what we're about to face," Buckhorn said to ABC News. 
 
 He said that the city will deal with the aftermath but "right now, we're pretty much in God's hands." 
 
 David Goldman/AP 
 
 Millions ordered to evacuate 
 
 As the monster storm neared, about 6.5 million Floridians were under mandatory and voluntarily evacuation orders. Evacuations were ordered in Georgia and South Carolina as well. 
 
 Over 116,000 people are in 530 shelters across Florida to ride out the storm. 30,000 people are in shelters in Miami-Dade alone. 
 
 But others decided to hunker down at home bracing for Irma's impact. 
 
 Carlos Barria/Reuters 
 
 Sylvia Constantinidis, a 27-year resident of Miami, told ABC News earlier this week that she would stay in the city during the storm. 
 
 "I own my house. You leave and then there is a major disaster then they don't let you come back to Florida until many days after," Constantinidis said. "If you have any damage or water getting into your house and you have to wait for two or three weeks to come back, then your house will be completely damaged by the time you come back to Florida." 
 
 Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times via AP 
 
 Lost power and reported tornadoes 
 
 Roughly 3.5 million customers were without power in Florida late Sunday night, according to Rob Gould, the vice president of communications at Florida Power & Light. 
 
 Meanwhile, a tornado watch is in effect today for Fort Myers, Tampa, Melbourne, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville. There have been at least three reported tornadoes in central and south Florida. 
 
 Irma's heavy rains and winds are expected to reach Georgia, too, and Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal today expanded his emergency declaration so all Georgia counties are under states of emergency. 
 
 Spencer Platt/Getty Images 
 
 ABC News' Daniel Manzo, Erin Dooley, Jordyn Phelps, Will Gretsky, Dominick Proto, Matthew Fuhrman and Chris Donato contributed to this report.
– Hurricane Irma has made landfall in the Florida Keys, reports the AP. The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said the center of the massive hurricane made landfall on Cudjoe Key in the lower Florida Keys at 9:10am. Its top sustained winds are 130mph. Irma earlier began its assault with the storm's northern eyewall reaching the lower Florida Keys as a powerful Category 4 storm. The US National Hurricane Center said it was expected to remain a powerful storm as it moved through the Florida Keys and near the state's west coast, reports the AP. The storm is moving slowly, about 8mph, so its eye is likely to hit the Tampa region around 2am Monday, but damaging winds, storm, surge, rain, and tornadoes will reach the area long before then. The immense storm has now knocked out power to more than 1 million homes and businesses. As the hurricane's eye approached the Florida Keys early Sunday, 60-year-old Carol Walterson Stroud and her family were huddled in a third floor apartment at a senior center in Key West. "We are good so far," she said in a text just before 5:30am. "It's blowing hard." Stroud was with her husband, Tim Stroud, and granddaughter, Sierra Costello. Their dog Rocky was also riding out the storm. Stroud said she planned to step outside once the eye of the hurricane passed over. She said she has stood in the eye of a hurricane before and it's "total peace and quiet."