potential storm surge. well, our continuing coverage will continue. coming up, there's going to be a special two-hour "fox report." arthel: that's right. sandra smith in new york, bill hemmer in orlando. sandra: america holding its breath as hurricane irma bears down on florida. the now-category two storm packing lethal and catastrophic force winds as it marches north up the gulf coast. welcome to the fox report, i'm sandra smith. bill hemmer is in orlando. bill: hey, sandra, good evening the you, and welcome as our coverage continues on the fox news channel. we are in central florida, and now we're starting to feel the bands of irma, still a strong category two storm as it works its way north up the coast. big concern for tampa at this hour, big concern for orlando, for fort myers as that storm comes onshore and moves further

north. a tornado warning issued in the past 30 minutes for the orlando area. we were warned about it. they have come and gone throughout the afternoon, a couple times, in fact, here in orlando, as we continue to track all of that as irma marches further north. adam klotz, now, our meteorologist back in the fox extreme weather center, starts us off this hour with the latest on what irma is doing now. adam, good evening to you. >> reporter: here's what we're looking at as we continue to watch irma slowly work up the state, getting closer and closer to that fort myers area. these bands of very heavy rain, very strong winds are continuing to lift, and we're going to start to see more severe weather towards the tampa area, towards orlando. it's only going to intensify. you just mentioned the tornado threat, it's across the entire state. but where you're going to see the most to activity and where we've seen the most so far is this front-right quadrant. so you're getting there on the

front-right side of the storm. that is where we've seen some of this activity. a couple of tornado-warmed cells here in the last little bit. typically, these aren't long lasting, but still at least brief-lasting, serious weather. and you're getting right into orlando area. either way, big thunderstorms working through with these very heavy rains, very strong winds as a result as well. the winds have been really massive here in the last little bit as you're looking at the naples area, seeing winds of 142 miles an hour, clocked several areas at 130-120. these winds still just as strong currently as we're beginning to watch this system move up the coast. and this is really important. i know a lot of folks think, hey, i'm on the west side of florida, i need to hunker down, but folks on the east side need to pay just as much attention. take a look at this. everything in this very defined red area, that is hurricane-force winds, consistent. but everything in the orange area outside of it, that is at least hurricane-force gusts, and

that coffers the entire state as we put this thing into motion. here you are at 8 p.m., but we're going to make this thing move up here. orlando get anything that area where you're seeing hurricane-force winds running you up to gainesville. this will continue to weaken by tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon. we're talking about this stretching on up into georgia, but still look at these very powerful winds stretching as far north as atlanta before this thing begins to turn off. and when you're talking about this kind of wind, you're also talking about storm surge, that's maybe the biggest story through the overnight hours. 10-15 feet, 5-10 feet in the tampa area, and again, the storm surge on the west side of the state is going to be worse. so it's not done as you're waiting for it, it happens once it leaves. bill? bill: it's been a fascinating day to watch this. adam, thank you very much in the fox extreme weather center. when you look at adam houseley reporting from earlier today down in the keys, and you look at, well, griff jenkins and others in naples, florida,

throughout the day and one place taking a direct hit from irma is the city of naples. the national weather service predicting a massive storm surge there stretching from, what, 10-12 feet high? steve harrigan's been reporting on the ground for hours and, steve, a bit of clearance right now. how is the damage that you and your team have seen so far? >> reporter: bill, from those sustained 130 mile-per-hour winds this afternoon in the city of napless, it's clear that there is -- naples, it's clear that there is serious damage. just how serious, just how widespread, it's really too early to tell at this point. from walking around during the eye of the storm when it got a little bit calmer, we could see a number of large trees uprooted, smashed, some power line ares down as well and some -- lines down as well and some flooding. the flooding is going to be the key story. just how deep and widespread is it? there were predictions of a storm surge of anywhere from 10-15 feet that could be sudden

and deadly. it's going to take some time to assess whether or not that happens. but the damage to trees and roots is significant. we are not seeing major structures, though, crushed by the wind. we haven't seen that. and we have seen power outage for about 170,000 people. so it's going to be a tough night. there is help on the way from the orlando area, that's where a lot of the first responders are going to be coming from. more than 1,000 vehicles, fuel convoys, medical convoys and one of the key things to clear are roads the hospitals. people are going to need help, they're going to need to be transported to those hospitals, so clearing these downed power lines, clearing these downed trees is going to be key to a fast recovery and rescue operation here in naples. bill, back to you. bill: it's a remarkable thing, steve, to see you in naples and see the tail end of the storm, because we're just getting the front of it now here in orlando, several hundred miles to the north of you. what is next for naples as you can assess it tonight?

>> reporter: there's a curfew tonight at 9 p.m., people are without power. we've seen more than 20,000 people go into shelters, a lot of people leave their homes. officials are being clear at this point that it might look like things are better, but the danger is not over, and they are saying to people do not return to your homes, there is a dangerous flood surge coming. so the danger, while not as obvious, not as visible, is still there according to officials telling people if you've left, if you've evacuated, it is still too early to come back home. bill? bill: wow. steve, thanks. steve harrigan live in naples, florida, with us throughout the day and the evening tonight. 7:06 meanwhile here in orlando. we, too, have a curfew that just went into effect moments ago. sandra, back to you in new york. sandra: and, bill, all eyes on tampa right now. joining us by phone the tampa mayor bob buckhorn. obviously, a very busy moment for your city.

you said earlier in a press conference that for 90 years we have avoided this day. you followed that up with that day has come. what are you preparing for? >> well, obviously, we're watching the storm as it progresses up the southwest coast. that video from naples was just terrifying and awe-inspiring. fortunately, it appears as though the storm has diminished somewhat, but we don't anticipate that that's going to remain the case. we are hopeful that it does, but we are planning for that type of weather here in the tampa area. we are at the emergency operations center, and we obviously are going full throttle. our police officers, our firefighters, our heavy equipment are staged so that when dawn comes, even though that will be the time of the surge and that's also coinciding with the high tide here in tampa which will compound the surge, we'll be ready to go out there and try and clear those streets and get those power lines restored. sandra: you have had some very strict warnings there and told

residents what is coming. did they heed those warnings? >> you know, i hope so. we've been pretty relentless about it, and we have been very candid about what might to occur if they don't. and so i think for, certainly, city residents -- and i can't speak for the unincorporated hillsborough county -- but i think city residents in those low-lying areas are paying attention, they're aware of the potential damage. many of them have boarded up their houses. my house, for example, my family has evacuated. so i think so. but then again, there will always be those who choose to ignore what we say and sometimes pay the ultimate price for it. sandra: the last we heard from the national hurricane center this, the eye of the storm was moving at 14 miles per hour heading straight -- due north. by my calculation, tampa's about 167 miles north of naples. what are you expecting as far as timing as we look into the night? >> well, i think we're looking

at the winds which are already increasing, and the rain is ongoing as we speak. i think it will increase over the next couple hours. i think the bad time for us will be between 11 and 2:00 in the morning. the surge would occur later than that, high tide for us would be about 6 a.m. in the morning. and then i think the storm will keep moving. the key thing for us is that we remain on the good side of the storm. if that happens, then i think the surge will be far less than it would be if it veers westward and war on the -- and we're on the bad side of the storm. but at this point, and i say this literally knocking on wood, the track seems to keep it on the good side of the storm. sandra: so let's talk about when the storm actually does hit. earlier you told residents do not call 911. once the storm begins and once it makes land there and winds are over 40 miles per hour, at what point are you stopping your first responders from answering calls? >> we already have.

police have been pulled off the streets because we've got sustained winds right about 40. if it abates, we will be back out on the street. but certainly, tampa police department is sheltering in place until that wind subsides. sandra: tampa electric estimates as much as 60% of your city will be without power. how long do you expect the power outage to last, mayor? >> well, peco's been a great partner for us, and we work hand in hand with them. we were already seeing some sporadic power outages. particularly concerning is some of them are occurring at our water and sewer plants. we have backup generators, but if the storm comes through at a cat three, then i think that's an accurate portrayal, and i think it will be days and in some cases weeks before that power is restored. i do know, the -- teaco has a

made arrangements for linemen coming in from areas not affected. but because of the depth of this storm and the fact that it encompasses the entire state, you can't slide down one side of the state that's not affected. sandra: tampa mayor bob buckhorn, we really appreciate your time and jumping on with us tonight. we wish you, your family and your residents the best as this can'ts. stay safe, thank you. -- as this continues. >> thank you. sandra: mike tobin? we're going to go to bill. bill: sandra, that mayor has really been out front of a lot of this action, but when he talks about 11 p.m. tonight, that's really when the stronger bands are going to roll through there. he's not going to know if he's in the clear until tomorrow morning, they issued an indefinite curfew for anyone who did not get out. the mayor's saying people have to stay inside until the neighborhood is considered safe. tampa just last night we saw so many along the shoreline just trying to check things out.

they were curious, and they did not want to leave, some of them. mike tobin's there live tonight with more from tampa tonight. about 80 miles to our west. mike, good evening. how is it? >> reporter: well, as the tampa mayor is saying, they're expecting the worse of this sometime around 11-2 in the morning. we can see now that the rain is coming in as we're under the outer bands of the storm. and while i've still got this amazing visual, i want to show you this phenomenon. we're looking into the hillsborough bay, and you see all of that dry land out there. that is because of all of the water that has drawn back into the storm surge. this harbinger of what is going to come. ultimately, the storm surge is going to push in this direction. and just because of the way tampa bay and the connected bodies of water are formed, when that water comes back in ands back with such force, it's got nowhere to go. it's going to push up into the low-lying areas, into all the tributaries, and that's going to

create the flooding effect that so many people are worried about, and that's going to happen after the wind event. but as long as we've got the rain and the wind coming in, i want to take you up here to the boulevard here, to bay shore boulevard. because then you can kind of get the visual effect of the sheets of rain that are now pouring in. i talk, i'm reluctant to say that you have flooding now because you've got water on the road, but that's water on the road that is a result of the rain coming in. that's not the flooding that has the authorities out here fearful. the flooding that everyone's talking about is what's going to come from this storm surge, ultimately on monday. so we're looking at the wind event coming tonight, later on as the wind is increasing. the barometer's been dropping steadily out here. you can see the trees blowing around. by and large, people are respecting the curfew and staying home. i see a few people out still curious, wanting to play out in the weather. for the most part, people are afraid of this storm.

they saw what happened out in texas, they're taking the warnings seriously, and they're in their house, and i guess we're standing by to see what happens next, bill. bill: yeah. that's our first big gust right here in orlando, so it's coming your way, mike, as well. listen, you saw in texas, you saw in the caribbean, and just being there in tampa last night, that city was empty. i mean, they really listened to their city authorities when they came out and said take this thing seriously. i know you have found out the same too, so, mike, thank you. we'll be back with you live in tampa throughout the evening here. you've got a number of counties and cities, including orlando, that have issued curfews. right now there's one in effect right here keeping people off the streets but, frankly, orlando's been empty. the chief of the police department, sir, are you with me? good evening to you. >> yes, sir. good evening. bill: how are things now with this curfew now in effect for you, and what are you hearing for your men and women? >> very few people out on the street right now.

the curfew's in effect, so i'm hoping that people abide by that and, you know, we know that system people, a very, very small percentage of people from the criminal element may try and take advantage of some closed businesses, but we're prepared to respond to that if necessary. bill: yeah. i am amazed by the level of kindness and patience i have found in the people who live in this city over the past three days, chief. you should be very proud of what your people have done so far and how they have listened to people like you as well. what has your observation been as you move through this storm tonight knowing the worst of it is still to come? >> exactly that, you know? this community was rocked by tragedy over a year and a half ago with our pulse incident, and we responded with kindness and love, so again, that's what we're seeing here. it's a very resilient community. there was a a call for blankets

at one of the shelters earlier today, and within minutes, you know, people were bringing blankets and they had more than they needed. so just another great example of our wonderful community here in orlando. bill: chief, we, we're given the news about seven hours ago about the tragic death of two law enforcement officers in the state of florida who were killed in a head-on collision in the middle of the night, one reporting to a shelter, one reporting for duty at that point. what information do you have as to how that tragedy occurred? >> just mostly what everyone else has that, you know, people were going to work, and it was a head-on collision and, unfortunately, two of our heroes have lost their lives. it's unfortunate. the men and women in law enforcement and corrections and first responders, we know that we can't stay home.

we have to be out and about providing safety and security for everyone, and it's a very risky job, and that was evident today. bill: yeah. certainly is a challenge, and our thoughts and prayers and thoughts with all of them throughout florida tonight. you're working 12-hour shifts. you've got an a shift and a b shift, and you're switching on and off. give us a sense of how the officers are holding up at the moment, chief. >> they're doing good. and, actually, many officers will work more than 12 hours because once we get to a certain point, it's unsafe for them to transition and go home, so they'll kind of shelter in place for a little bit. but, yeah, they'll definitely work more than their normal 12-hour shift. but we have several rotations that are in, so, you know, certainly double the amount of police officers on the street that we usually have. so that's why, you know, we're telling people don't be out

there committing crimes because, you know, we have a lot of officers out there, and is we'll catch you and put you in jail. bill: yeah. we'll get that message out for you as well. one last question. the salvation army's been activated, 7,000 statewide. i think there were 30,000 outside of florida that are on standby to come in when called. do you interface with the national guard? do you work in tandem in any way, or is it a separate operation at the moment? >> we just know that they're available to us, and i was, you know, briefed a couple hours earlier that who to get ahold of if they needed to be deployed. so we're in constant communication, if needed, those resources can be deployed here. i get the feeling that they'll be needed in other parts of the state and not necessarily here in orlando or central florida. bill: well, we will see then. chief, good luck, okay? the curfew's in effect. it'll last for at least 23 hours, and we'll see how it goes

together. thank you, chief, for getting the word out with us tonight. >> thank you. good to be here. bill: back to sandra now, back to sandra now in new york, and we'll let you know what's happening here in orlando with that tornado warning and give you the discuss on that momentarily. sandra: absolutely. thank you. meanwhile, the white house coming up with a game plan to help those affected by irma. the latest response from president trump and vice president pence, next. >> the people of south florida, the people of the entire state should know we are with you. the president has directed the full resources of the federal government to be brought to bear to support the efforts of governor scott and state and local officials across florida, and we will continue to do that. this is a story about mail and packages. and it's also a story about people and while we make more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country, we never forget... that your business is our business the united states postal service.

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sandra: hurricane i rah main. ing a sustained assault on the state of florida, a monstrous 400 miles wide with winds hitting 110 miles per hour and gusts over 140. it's expected to retain its hurricane status at least until tomorrow morning. joining us now by phone, florida fisherman captain jeff ballard. i understand you, captain, are in st. petersburg? >> yes, that's correct. we're at madeira beach. sandra: are you riding this out on a boat? >> yeah, we're on the florida fisherman ii at hovers marina, and we're riding it out on our vessel. the winds have picked up quite a bit, and the rain's coming down. we've noticed a lot of water just leaving, it's just going out the slowest i've ever seen it. is the high tide was around 3:00 this morning, so if i have a surge come in then.

sandra: in that case, what would you expect by way of the surge? >> the surge, when the surge comes in, really depends on where the eye of the storm is. if the eye's on the west of us, it's better off for us. but if it's on the east of us, it's better off for us, but if it's on the west, we're just going to take off the docker we'll be pushed inland a little bit more out there, ride it out there. right now we're still tied off at the dock. we're almost on the bottom right now. all the water's just leaving right now. sandra: wow. >> yeah, it's kind of -- sandra: whey are you -- why are you deciding to stay there? >> well, you know, we just reoutfitted our boat. it's a great boat, and she can handle it. we did a lot of preparation making sure it was going to go right. you know, we prepare for the worst and hope for the best. it's all going to work out. we've got a good team of captains. sandra: how are you getting updates while you're on the boat? >> by our phones, by the radio, a lot of communication going on

right now primarily with the phones and the radio, and we have our ship to shore, stuff like that. sandra: okay. so you sound winded. so what kind of work are you doing to insure that you and your boat make it through this? >> we're just right now what we're doing is just kind of monitoring the lines that our boat's docked with. we have many lines on the boat, and we're just establishing those, making sure we have the right tension on them, everything's setting real good. she's sitting real good. it's a great boat, it's bulletproof. nevertheless, right now we're just starting to get busy because it just started deteriorating not too long ago actually. sandra: captain, we're looking at live images of miami right now taking on a lot of water as the storm surge there has dumped a lot of water downtown miami. when you start to see these reports and as i tell you what i'm seeing in these images, do

you have any regrets about doing what you're doing and riding out this storm? >> not really. we always have a plan b and stuff like that. we're pretty well off out here. like i said, we're not putting anybody in harm's way. we've got a secure vessel, a pretty good plan here. we're on the inside, you know? i'm sorry for the people in miami and everybody that got hit down in the keys. prayers go out to them, wish them the best. and, well, i just hope everybody makes it. sandra: all right. captain jeff ballard, thanks for coming on. stay safe. >> okay, you're welcome. thank you. bye-bye. sandra: bill? bill: as you were talking, we heard two loud booms in the distance here in orlando. not quite sure what they were. they could have been transformers blowing, but it's hard for us to really know. we still have power, the electricity's been on, it has not been knocked off despite some reports we're getting south of town in kissimmee, florida, where they lost power about two

hours ago. the gusts are kicking around here, and it's about what we expected. it's around 7:30 in the evening, the sun's going down, and it fits the time and the schedule that we were told several hours ago about when we could expect to feel the first bands of irma here, and now that's happening. as for the white house, the president's back there tonight. he and the vice president, mike pence, reassuring a lot of people in the track of irma that they will have the full support of the government. in fact, they met with cabinet members to get an update on the track of the storm, and here's the vice president, mike pence, from a few hours ago on that. >> we are with you. the prayers of the american people are with the people of florida. and secondly, as the president said, our mission here at the federal level in support of local efforts is very simple. wherever hurricane irma goes, we'll be there first. we'll be there with resources and support both to save lives and to help to recover and rebuild these states and these

communities. bill: now to kristin fisher live at the white house. tell us what the trump administration is doing and how they're reacting to help people impacted by this storm. good evening to you. >> reporter: good evening, bill. within the last few hours, president trump has approved a major disaster declaration for the entire state of florida. and what that will do is free up federal funds for state and local authorities to rebuild and repair all of the damaged infrastructure. it'll also free up federal funds for individuals and business owners, things like grants for temporary housing or home repairs, even some low-cost loans to cover perhaps some uninsured property losses. as for exactly how much money we're talking about, too soon to say. president trump says right now they're still focused on saving lives and not how much this hurricane is going to cost. >> we may have been a little bit lucky in that it went on the west, and it may not have been

quite as destructive, but we're going to see. it's going to play out over the next five or six hours. it's all about coordination. i think we're really well coordinated, as well as you can possibly be. >> reporter: president trump made those remarks right after landing at the white house after spending the weekend at camp david with his cabinet. the white house says he's been monitoring this storm 24/7, he's been on the phone with florida's senators, florida's governor and the governors of the states where irma is headed next, alabama, georgia, south carolina and tennessee. and, you know, add that to the devastation caused by hurricane harvey in texas and louisiana, and you can see why florida senator bill nelson has been saying that fema is stretched. but the acting head of the department of homeland security speaking today at fema's headquarters, she said today that she's confident that the federal government is going to be able to simultaneously respond and handle the aftermath of both hurricane harvey and irma, bill.

bill: we're going to talk the senator nelson next hour about that very topic, kristin. what about -- well, we saw the president in houston after harvey. was he asked about plans to come to florida, and what did he say? >> reporter: yeah, he was. he said, his exact words were i'm going to be going to florida very soon. he was in texas within days of hurricane harvey, then he went back to houston once it was safe for him to go there, once he wasn't going to tie up too many resources, the kind of resources that are required anytime a president goes into a disaster zone. but president trump, he says he's going to be going to florida as soon as possible, and, you know, this is a state that president trump has often called his second home. he has several properties there and, of course, the winter white house, mar-a-lago, is this as well. so this is a very personal storm for him as president as he watches what happens to a state that he knows and loves very well, bill. bill: yeah. all right, kristin, we'll await

more word on that. kristin fisher, thank you so much, reporting on the latest from the white house there with us tonight. winds from the east right now, sandra. you can feel it coming our way here in orlando, and it's going to deteriorate throughout the evening as our coverage continues. back to you in new york. sandra: you can feel it, bill, and we can hear it. thank you for your continued coverage out there. stay tuned for continuing coverage of hurricane irma as it continues to make its way up the florida coast. we'll get the latest update on the storm track and talk to one of the many families forced to leave home. ♪ ♪ cheese. doesn't matter if it's served on a kitchen table or a picnic table. under a roof or a starry night. every table tells a story, we're happy to have a seat at yours. sargento. we're real cheese people.

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made even the kiwi an enjoyable experience try super poligrip free. ♪ bill: back in orlando, i'm bill hemme. this is "the fox report," continuing coverage of hurricane irma bearing down on florida. now a category two storm carving a path of destruction up the gulf coast and torrential rainfall hitting so many towns along the way. winds maxing out right now at 110 miles an hour. here is what it looked like at daybreak, irma causing a 10-foot storm surge in the keys. authorities urging people to get away from the water at that moment. >> storm surge has the highest potential to kill the most amount of people and cause the most amount of damage, and so, you know, my biggest concern is when people fail to heed a warning early from local government officials, and then they make a last minute ditch to try to get to a shelter or into

a facility to withstand the winds, and in some cases the water starts to rise, and they get trapped because a they didn't heed the warning early. that's my greatest concern. bill: a big, big concern throughout the state. adam klotz in the fox extreme weather center, you know we're feeling her here in orlando. she has a arrived. good evening, what do you see on the radar? >> reporter: good evening, bill. for the last hour, fort myers getting slammed by the eye wall really moving across that area. i can bring you in here, it has begun to pass through there, but it's this area where the winds are going to be the strongest. fort myers just now getting to the south of that, so they've really been getting it here in the last hour or so. naples got it a while ago, that's now farther to the south, so things are beginning to improve for them, but everyone out in front of this, everyone beginning to see more and more severe weather. these are all very heavy thunderstorms, 'em belledded thunderstorms, and -- embedded, and within some of these, we've hat tornadoes.

everything in red, that's a tornado watch in place because the conditions are there. but generally on the front-right side of these storms, that's where those tornadoes spin up. that's been the case as we see a tornado-warned storm outside of the orlando area and just north of daytona beach. these will continue to fire up especially on the eastern side of the state. so even though the track is running up the west side of the state, that does not mean you're out of the woods on the east side of the state. the winds have been very strong. look at this, 142 in naples as it moved through the area just about an hour ago. marco island up to 130 miles an hour. these winds are going to stay this strong as this storm runs up the west side of the state. look at this. there's been a lot of folks who think, hi, i'm not there -- hey, i'm not on the west side of the state, maybe the winds won't be so bad. everything in this red area is a hurricane-force wind. everything in the orange area which stretches all the way to the coast, that is a hurricane-force gust.

so absolutely everyone across the state has the opportunity as this system continues the lift the north -- actually, we're talking about very strong winds getting into atlanta by late tomorrow night, lingering into early tuesday morning. the other big concern anytime you talk about all these big winds is going to be the storm surge. now that we're moving just north of fort myers, these numbers are going to start the climb. 10-15 potential feet there, 5-10 feet in tampa. again, it's when you get on the back side of this storm that that water really begins to climb. 15 feet, again, that's not a wave, that's just the base level of the water, and that's why this is is severe. bill? bill: adam, thank you. adam klotz there. we had a tornado warning here that expired about 45 minutes ago, and we've had several of those throughout the day today already. adam, thanks. we'll be backing with you next hour. sandra, it's an amazing thing to see this storm cover the entire width of the state of florida. they said it would be that big and, in fact, it is here tonight. back to you in new york. sandra: pretty much everyone and

every city in that state affected by this, bill, and curfews are going on, into effect across the state right now including in miami. violent winds there from irma knocking could be a pair of construction cranes there. this one smashed into a building downtown. no reports of any injuries. bryan llenas is reporting live from miami. bryan, there is a curfew in miami tonight for people that stayed there. are they following that? >> reporter: yes, from what we can see, they are. a curfew starting at 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the reason is, well, take a look at this. this is the panorama building, the largest building on miami being constructed at 84 stories tall. a residential building. it's been getting whipped by the wind since the storm coming from the southwest with those winds. guys, take a look at this, this has been falling from that building. these are six-foot-long glass panels falling from up to 85 stories across the street.

this is the sixth one we've seen fall from that building. this is what -- the third one we've seen on the ground, and it's just tons of shards of glass that we've seen throughout the area. this is why officials do not want people on the streets, because frankly, the time at which you can probably get hurt the most is right after the system. there is still tons of debris around. the city of miami is sending out five recovery crews, essentially. debris crews to see how much debris is -- to evaluate the entire city to see what they have to do to clean up the area. i am bringing you onto brickell avenue in downtown miami. this is where we saw, where we're seeing the effects of that storm surge. we are right by the water. these are residential high-rises, the j.w. marriott as well, and you can just see the flooding. this is about ankle-deep water. and you can tell it goes all the way down as far as our light can go. now, the good news is that many of the buildings here seem to be

elevated, so the water doesn't seem to have made it past the steps in many of these cases, but there are residents here. this area was under mandatory evacuation, and for good reason, because it is easily flooded. when irma was coming and initially was supposed to have a direct hit on miami, we were talking 6-10 foot storm surge. luckily, we haven't seen that here, but still flooding which can cause a lot of problems. your car can get stuck, power lines can get down, and when you have glass panels falling off of a building and sharp glass on the ground, it's just a recipe for danger and just not good. so a lot of people like to come out and take photos. authorities are saying stay in, we're not done yet. sandra: and, bryan, as we just heard, miami international airport is reporting still 99 mile-per-hour wind gusts, so that's still the case right there. can you put some of this into perspective for us? bryan, you're from there, you've covered multiple hurricanes in the past. the type of flooding that you're

seeing right now. >> reporter: you know, the last hurricane that i was here for, i covered hurricane matthew, but that didn't really affect miami as much. hurricane wilma is the comparison that we have, category three. i stayed and bunkered could be with my family. that storm kind of hovered and hit us twice, wrapped around and hit us twice. that caused a lot of damage, and i think that's a fairly good comparison in the sense that this storm has lasted a long time. even if you don't have the 130 mile-an-hour gusts, you still have that storm surge. you still have those winds, and we've seen downed power lines and signs down and just, you know, over time we saw a stop sign last night, we've been covering this since 10:00 last night, and it's just, you know, you see it. it just came right down. it just kept getting hit and hit and hit. i think a lot of people were prepared for this storm, no doubt. but when it started moving to the west, there was a little bit of concern that people were letting their guard down, and i think we're seeing right now why

officials were concerned about that. this is fairly significant damage. we have 800,000 people that don't have power. it's going to take a while for things to get back to normal here, and that's why they're stressing patience. with wilma, we were without power in my home for two weeks, some people for four weeks. i know fpl has done everything they can to make sure that isn't the case now. we already saw a power crew go into that building as we hear the fire alarms go off. it looks like they're assessing the power situation while they can. remember, they can't put those buckets in the air when the wind is above 35 miles an hour. so again, patience. we are still getting those wicked gusts coming right off the ocean which is about a three minute walk that way, sandra. sandra: right. bryan llenas, yes, we certainly can hear those emergency alarms and sirens going off as the flood waters continue to rise. the wind still strong there. meanwhile, the rest of the state is bracing for what's next. bill hemmer in orlando. bill? bill: sandra, they told six

million people to leave their homes and get on the road and get out of here, and there's a family with me now that's part of that six million. mike and dorothy morocco and their kids here with me, their daughter ang aha goes to school here in orlando, the son joseph in the back. i saw you guys on the elevator, i saw you in the restaurant, i've seen you everywhere. you live in clearwater, florida? >> just north of clearwater. bill: and you made the decision to leave yesterday. what was that final push that got you to get up and come here? >> well, i mean, it was a nightmare. like most floridians, we were following the track for the last five days, and originally, of course, it was on the east coast, so we thought, okay, we'll keep an eye on it. and after track after track started moving west, saturday morning at 5:00 when the track started to really kind of look like it was going into the gulf, that was a big concern. i basically woke everyone up at five a.m. and said we have to get out. bill: he woke you up when?

>> 35bg and said concern 5:00 and said we're leaving. >> i was fortunate to get a reservation that morning. bill: i've remarked several times about how patient the people are in orlando. how do you feel riding this hurricane out tonight? >> i feel good. better than being home. i feel like even though it was hard to leave, we're safer here. bill: you feel that way, is that right? dorothy, you were talking about during the commercial break as well, you did not want to stay, but you have seen many hurricanes here in florida. what was it for you that said i can't take a chance? >> mike. when he got -- when he woke up and said we're leaving, we listened to him and packed up and left. and we had only, unfortunately, we have family back home in palm harbor. bill: are you in touch with them? >> yes, yes. bill: how are they doing? >> they're okay. they still have electricity, so they're okay. bill: my man, don't lose your hat back there. >> i'll try not to. [laughter] bill: how are you feeling here, you know, throughout the day and as you know that she is soon

arriving? >> oh, i feel good. it's just a little cold and windy. but other than that, doing good. bill: only fools like us are supposed to be out here, not like you guys. the morocco family, thank you for being here and letting our viewers know how you're doing. be well -- >> our thoughts and prayers are with everyone throughout the storm and the area. bill: i second that. thanks, guys. good luck. sandra: all right. that family sticking together. bill memory -- hemmer, thank you for that. nice to hear from a family that fled to safety. fema officials now ready and waiting to take on the task of recovery. how they are preparing to meet the monumental challenge that lies ahead even as hurricane irma continues to create more damage at this very minute? ♪ ♪ ation, my doctor recommended i switch laxatives. stimulant laxatives make your body go by forcefully stimulating the nerves in your colon.

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bill: well, we know this storm is putg a real stretch on the federal government, and fema certainly. you had harvey in texas and now irma throughout the state of florida as they gear up to respond to the destruction and what comes after the storm. vice president mike pence and fellow cabinet members traveling to the fema headquarters in washington, checking in on what's happening there. that agency now getting ready with resources and personnel to help florida and any other area that is may sustain a lot of damage from this storm. garrett tenney's live from fema headquarters in washington, and garrett, what did you hear from officials today about what concerns them the most about what they're watching here in florida? >> reporter: well, bill, earlier this evening when i was speaking with the acting homeland security secretary, e elaine duke, she told me they are still most concerned about south florida because there are a lot of folks who did not

evacuate and now need to be rescued, but the conditions is are so bad that teams can't get out to conduct those operations. and that's why this afternoon when vice president mike pence was here, he urged folks if you're still able to evacuate, get out. >> we can rebuild cities, we can rebuild buildings, we cannot rebuild lives. and saving lives is the priority of all of us from the president to governor scott on down. and we'll stay focused on the life-saving mission. but it all begins with americans in harm's way listening to state and local officials. >> reporter: and right now the hope is that they will be able to start those search and rescue operations in south florida, particularly the florida keys, first thing tomorrow morning. and from there, as the storm continues to work north, they will also be able to start conducting those operations

further up in the state. now, to help with that fema's working with the department of defense to use some of their assets in the gulf so that as soon as the system passes, they can move in and have those ships with supplies and teams ready to get help to those folks that need it. but again, until the water calms down, those ships can't make it. so sadly, for now those folks who didn't evacuate and need to be rescued are on their own at least until tomorrow morning. bill? bill: yeah. big job ahead. garrett tenney, thank you so much at fema headquarters in washington. we'll talk to senator bill nelson from florida next hour about the response there from the federal level. that's west, that's east. that's south, that's north. and from the east is where the bands are now whipping around here in orlando as i a ma continues to march here -- irma continues to march toward the north. they will deteriorate throughout the night, sandra, we certainly know that as this storm gets closer and closer, and we're going to keep an eye on fort myers, florida, and also tampa.

just a tick before 8:00 here in orlando for now. back to you in new york, sandra. talk to you again in a couple minutes. sandra: meanwhile, more than two million people are without power in florida, and a large number are are in broward county. joining me now is the mayor, barbara shah rear. thanks for -- sharif. thanks for joining us. just how many of your residents are without power at the moment? >> about 7 p 09,000 -- 709,000. sandra: and your county has a population of about two million. >> yes. sandra: so you're talking about you're moving towards almost half of your population without power. what can you tell residents as far as how long to expect that to last? >> so basically, fpl has the largest mobilization in the history of a storm in the united states right now in broward county with over 14,000 workers in place and strategically placed equipment, i think that we're well on our way to getting power restored to many of those residents quickly and safely.

what our biggest concern is that because of the number of residents without power that people will go out and wade into water that has electricking call lines in it -- electrical lines in it. sandra: and that seems to be one of the big goals of officials. even though it might look like the situation is improving, that does not mean you should walk outside of your house. what are you expecting as far as rainfall? by the most recent forecasts, 8-10 inches of heavy rain is expected in your county. >> so as of today when we got our last update at three, we had 4-8 inches in areas around broward county, and up until 8:30 or 9:00 tonight it's projected that another 4-8 inches will fall. so we'll be well over 8-16 inches of rain by the time tomorrow gets here. sandra: wow. and considering your community has coastal areas as well as low-lying areas, what do you

expect in terms of flooding? >> well, we've been, they've been reporting that all of the coastal areas are flooded. hollywood, fort lauderdale beach, that we have lots of flooding over in those areas, especially in the areas where we evacuated people east of federal highway and u.s. 1. we are experiencing a high volume of flooding. sandra: and what are you hear anything terms of your residents and how they're faring at this moment? >> so people are reporting that they're without power, of course, but most people for the most part are okay. they're safe and sheltered in place, and that's what we -- that was our goal with the early evacuation and with the curfews. we were just hoping that they would heed e the warning. -- heed the warning. sandra: mayor, as of a little while ago, a boiled water order was put out for the town of davy, i believe in your county, a system wide, precautionary boiled water order. what can you tell us about that? >> so right now we have five cities out of of the 31 with

boiled water orders, hollywood, davy, west park, pembroke pines and holden dale beach. sandra: why was this put in place? >> some of the functions at some of the water plants in those cities failed, so they put out a cautionary boiled water alert for those five cities. sandra: all right. and as far as curfew tonight, you have a curfew in place, and you expect that to be in place all the way through monday? >> yes. our curfew went into place at 4 p.m. yesterday, and that's going to last until 10 a.m. on monday. just because we release the curfew does not mean we want people occupy out on the streets. sandra: thank you for coming on. >> thank you for having me. sandra: all right. bill hemmer. bill: sandra, more continuing coverage of hurricane irma here, a live report from tampa in a moment here. we'll get a live report out of naples, let you know how we're tracking the storm through fort

myers and certainly here in orlando to. we are a long way from finished with a category two storm still moving up the florida spine. back in a moment. live in orlando. on this "folk report." ♪ ♪ the reason i'm telling you this is that there will be moments in your life that... you'll never be ready for. : liberty mutual stood with me when this guy got a flat tire in the middle of the night. hold on dad... liberty did what? yeah, liberty mutual 24-hour roadside assistance helped him to fix his flat so he could get home safely. my dad says our insurance doesn't have that. don't worry - i know what a lug wrench is, dad.

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unlike detergent alone, downy conditions fibers to lock... ...out odors all day. hey your shirt's making me hungry. so don't half-wash it. downy and it's done. . sandra hurricane irma hitting harder in the state of florida. knock out power to 2 1/2 million homes and businesses as authorities warn of potentially lethal storm surge. welcome to "fox report" i'm sandra smith, bill hemmer is in orlando tonight, bill? bill: good evening to everybody at home watching and waiting to see what irma does next. in orlando, irma has arrived and winds out of the east are picking up by the moment here. hour-by-hour, as the storm gets closer, where we were yesterday and day break today and how large the storm was in the keys and how it moved its way toward