KEY MESSAGES:
1. There is the danger of life-threatening storm surge flooding
along portions of the coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina,
where a Storm Surge Warning remains in effect.
2. Irma will continue to bring life-threatening wind impacts to much
of central and north Florida, with hurricane-force winds near the
center. Also, Irma is a large hurricane, and hurricane-force wind
gusts and sustained tropical-storm force winds extend far from the
center. Wind hazards from Irma will continue to spread northward
through Georgia and into portions of Alabama, Tennessee, South
Carolina, and North Carolina.
3. Irma continues to produce very heavy rain and inland flooding
across much of the northern peninsula and eastern panhandle of
Florida and southern Georgia, which is quickly spreading to the rest
of the southeast United States. Intense rainfall rates of 2 inches
or more per hour is leading to flash flooding and rapid rises on
creeks, streams, and rivers. Significant river flooding is likely
over the next five days in the Florida peninsula and southern
Georgia, where average rainfall totals of 8 to 15 inches are
expected. Significant river flooding is possible beginning Monday
and Tuesday in much of central Georgia and southern South Carolina
where average rainfall of 3 to 6 inches and isolated 10 inch amounts
are expected. Portions of these states within the southern
Appalachians will be especially vulnerable to flash flooding.
Farther north and west, Irma is expected to produce average amounts
of 2 to 4 inches in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee,
northern South Carolina and western North Carolina, where isolated
higher amounts and local flooding may occur.
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