The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma was a "potentially catastrophic" storm with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (285 kph) as it bore down on the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. “The sooner people leave, the better.” 
 
 Dangerous conditions, with hurricane force winds, are expected to hit the Leeward Islands tonight and Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Wednesday. Puerto Ricans braced for blackouts after the director of the island's power company told reporters that storm damage could leave some areas without electricity for about a week and other, unspecified areas for four to six months. National Hurricane Center 
 
 SIGN UP 
 
 Help us deliver journalism that makes a difference in our community. Our journalism takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work to produce. SUBSCRIBE TODAY 
 
 As the hurricane churns closer to the U.S. coast, its path becomes more certain, with South Florida, particularly the Keys, increasingly likely to take a hit. Tropical storm force winds could arrive as early as Friday. "The decisions that we make in the next couple of hours can make the difference between life and death," Puerto Rico Gov. Rick Scott activated 100 members of the Florida National Guard to be deployed across the state, and 7,000 National Guard members were to report to duty Friday when the storm could be bearing down on the area. Monroe County announced that it will begin issuing mandatory evacuation orders for visitors at sunrise Wednesday. “I would rather inconvenience residents on this occasion than suffer any loss of life.” 
 
 Because Irma is so large, stretching some 120 miles across, forecasters urged caution in paying too much attention to its exact track. The storm is continuing to roll west at 14 mph, with winds expected to begin battering the Leeward Islands today. A powerful high pressure ridge is steering the storm and will likely stay in place over the next few days, forecasters said. In five days, a trough moving across the U.S. should begin weakening the western edge of the ridge, allowing the storm to slide north. Where Irma makes the turn will determine impacts to Florida. Monroe County said there will be no roadblocks into the Keys before the storm, to allow property owners and family members to help out with evacuations. Monroe County officials plan to activate their emergency operations center at noon today to begin announcing plans. Schools and county offices will also be closed, beginning Wednesday. ADVISORY: Irma’s winds reach 185 mph as powerful storm churns toward Florida 
 
 “If ever there was a storm to take seriously in the Keys, this is it,” Monroe County Emergency Management Director Martin Senterfitt said. Fierce hurricane winds extend 60 miles from Irma’s center, with tropical storm force winds reaching another 160 miles. In addition to the northern islands in the Antilles, hurricane watches have also been issued for parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, with dangerous winds, storm surge and heavy rain expected Thursday and Friday. In Puerto Rico, the governor has declared a state of emergency and is preparing to open 456 shelters that can house more than 62,000. Irma could strike a direct blow on the remainder of the Bahamas and Cuba later in the week, forecasters said. The likelihood of Irma hitting the Keys or parts of South Florida is also increasing, however forecasters warned it’s too soon to determine what impacts the region might feel. Hurricane Irma grew into a powerful Category... (Associated Press) 
 
 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Irma grew into a dangerous Category 5 storm, the most powerful seen in the Atlantic in over a decade, and roared toward islands in the northeast Caribbean Tuesday on a path that could eventually take it to the United States. It was centered about 225 miles (365 kilometers) east of Antigua in the late morning and moving west at 14 mph (22 kph). While wind speeds could fluctuate over the next day or two, forecasters say it will likely remain a very dangerous Cat 4 or 5 storm as it heads westward.  Irma spun into a monster storm Tuesday morning with sustained winds topping 180 mph, becoming the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, National Hurricane Center forecasters said in their 11 a.m. advisory. In addition to a state emergency, Scott said he asked President Donald Trump to request a federal emergency in advance of Irma’s arrival and began coordinating rescue efforts that include 13 helicopters and 1,000 high-wheeled truck capable of driving through high water. Utilities have been asked to begin posting outage and restoration information as the storm hits and are contacting other utilities to help out with repairs, Scott said in a statement. Across the mainland, the South Florida Water Management District has already begun inspecting pumps and gates and lowering canals to make room for heavy rain, flushing as much water as possible starting in South Dade. In a morning press conference, Chief Engineer John Mitnik said he expects the storm to dump between eight and 10 inches of rain, but where it falls depends on Irma’s track. Unlike Harvey, Irma is not forecast to linger and deliver the kind of punishing rain that triggered widespread flooding and likely billions of dollars in damage. Mitnik said South Florida’s extensive system of canals are also capable of moving water quickly, however local drainage depends on flood controls set up in neighborhoods and subdivisions. “If your particular subdivision was designed to have street flooding, then that’s what you’ll expect to see,” he said. SHARE COPY LINK A WP-3D Orion aircraft made the first hurricane hunter pass through Hurricane Irma on Sunday, September 3, getting a first hand look at the storm as it edges toward the Caribbean. McClatchyNASA SPoRT 
 
 Timing is another issue. “If you take eight to 10 inches over several days, or compact it in 30 minutes, those are two different things,” he said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also keeping a close eye on the aging dike around Lake Okeechobee, where water levels Tuesday were at 13.65 feet, still well below the 15.5 feet level where discharges begin and the more than 18 feet limit set to protect the dike. While models have shifted Irma’s path up and down over the weekend, Tuesday morning’s runs largely agree on the storm’s path over the next three days, with less certainty after that. South Florida Water Management District 
 
 Over the last week, Irma has also undergone repeated eyewall replacements, a common structural change for such massive storms. While the replacement may initially weaken the storm, it allows it to spread and grow in size. With each replacement, Irma has also been able to regain steam. A new tropical storm also formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday, to the east of Irma. At 11 a.m., the storm was located more than 1,500 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, moving west, northwest at 13 mph. The hurricane center said Tropical Storm Jose was about 1,505 miles (2,420 kilometers) east of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).
– Hurricane Irma has grown into the most powerful seen in the Atlantic in more than a decade, roaring toward islands in the northeast Caribbean Tuesday on a path that could eventually take it to the United States, per the AP. The US National Hurricane Center said the Category 5 Irma was a "potentially catastrophic" storm with winds of 185mph as it bore down on the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. That makes it the most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean, notes the Miami Herald. It is also the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Rita in 2005, officials said. Evacuations along the coast in Florida's Miami-Dade County could begin as early as Wednesday, per the Herald. The hurricane center said there was a growing possibility that the storm's effects could be felt in Florida later this week and over the weekend, though it was still too early to be sure of its future track. If it stays on track and reaches the Florida Straits, the water there is warm enough that the already "intense" storm could become much worse with wind speeds potentially reaching 225mph, warned Kerry Emanuel, an MIT meteorology professor. "People who are living there (the Florida Keys) or have property there are very scared, and they should be," Emanuel said.