good morning, i'm diane macedo. >> i'm kendis gibson. this morning on "world news now," the breaking news, hurricane irma battering florida. millions are without power as the storm heads north, hitting tampa and leaving widespread damage on both coasts. >> the storm is leaving behind sights like this. water sucked out. we'll have more on this phenomenon and what's happening up ahead. >> and the evacuations under way in the caribbean after irma's wrath. more than 1,000 americans are among those

we're following it all on this monday, september 11. from abc news, this is "world news now." and we do say good morning. hurricane irma is pounding western and central florida. >> it's now to a category one storm, but we're still getting very high wind speeds reported in. they can be felt from quite a distance from the center. >> more than 4.5 million people are without power. even eastern florida communities like daytona beach are seeing strong wind and rain. >> miami escaped a direct hit, but the storm turned streets there into what looked like rivers. the main road in one of miami's busiest neighborhoods is full of three feet of water and fallen debris. and imagine responders are urging people to stay out of the

water. >> the focus is on the tampa/st. peters bi petersburg area. marci, what's the situation? >> reporter: guys, this is the calmest we have seen conditions all morning, all day yesterday. you can see there's a bit of a breeze right now. i don't think it's raining. that's the first time i've been able to say that since hurricane irma started to move through. however, that does not mean that this area is out of the woods just yet. the major concern here continues to be with the storm surge. you've seen the images of the water being sucked out of tampa bay. out of the canals, out of other waterways in this area by hurricane irma. that water is eventually going to come rushing back in. and that could lead to flooding in neighborhoods, in downtown tampa. they were initially saying they thought they would have five to eight feet of storm surge here. they've backed that up quite a

weakened. they're thinking maybe two to four feet, if that. but that's enough to do serious damage. so they're keep ago cloing a cl on that. not too long ago there was a gi gust of 90 miles per hour at tampa bay. that is a serious concern. fire rescue crews are not going out on the roads. if there's an emergency, someone needs a rescue, they're not going to be able to do that because of the wind speeds, because it's too dangerous. so they'll have to wait until the sun comes up this morning to assess the damage and make themselves available for anyone who may need help. >> such a contrasting image. some arieas we sigh roadways tht look like rivers. and then you see tampa bay without water. and the

empty. >> reporter: they expected that to happen. it's a part of the storm surge. and they know it will come back in. it will happen suddenly. there were people walking around on the floor of tampa bay, and thi they hurried to get people out of there. that water will come back at some point. it's unclear how quickly that will happen and when that will happen. >> and while marci was talking we were looking at a live picture of the tampa bay airport where the camera has been shaking throughout the morning hours, but the airport is closed as well as miami airports. let's check in now and see where the storm is with kelly ann cicalese. >> and at this point, it is that category one strength, but we're still seeing very strong significant bands. within the bands we're seeing rainfall rates near four inches per hour. sheets that we often talk about

with their storis storm. there is a tornado watch extending much of northern florida into portioning of georgia. that's thing we're watching. that's just one aspect of the system as we do see the likelihood of storm surge. and when all is said anden don that extends through georgia and into the carolinas as well. later this afternoon, locally up to 15 inches of rainfall through much of florida. and that includes beoth west an east coast. widespread. 415 miles outside of the eye we are seeing tropical storm force winds. massive. so wind is a really major aspect

of course in addition to the storm surge and sheets of rain that are falling even at this hour. >> and the visibility for people trying to get away. i want to, we've been tracking the storm since the beginning, and a lot has changed in its track. are we past that now or could we still see more changes? >> it was wobbling a lot. but it seems at this point, now that tess followiit's following north, northwesterly track it will pick up speed. it will finally land in the tennessee area as we move to the middle of the workweek. >> as we look at that graphic right there where you saw pars of jacksonville will get possibly more than 15 inches of rain. the center's nowhere near jacksonville. >> exactly. >> why is that? >> this is a massive system. 415 miles out, you're seeing the

bands of that very heavy rainfall that's pushing nor northward. that's not even the eye wall. that's bands. they set up west to east many so the entire state west to east being encompassed within the very strong areas. and likely pushing into georgia as we are seeing the tornado watch extending that way. >> thanks so much. and right now we're in nightfall, 4.5 million homes without power. as the sun starts to come up, we're going to see more of the extent of irma's damage. >> the storm was stirring up more powerful winds south of naples where david muir rode it out. >> reporter: if hurricanes are living things, it pumps the

torrential rains and already severe flooding outside ft. myers. >> the bad news is that this is some big monster, but i think we're very well coordinated. you don't want to be in that path. >> reporter: wind gusts reaching over 100 miles per hour. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: our abc team forced to seek shelter with the roof tiles from the building and debris came flying through the air. >> you can hear the debris coming in. be careful, tom. the awnings on the outside of the building actually are crashing down. with power transformers being knocked out. >> whoa! >> reporter: thousands of evacuees hunkered in shelters. here, battering the glass doors of this naples shelter. >> there was pandemonium. we were very scared and with her

nerves and the baby, we high tailed it out. packed some food, got what we needed and got here within an hour. >> reporter: we met toughened hurricane survivors like john t tisdale. >> andrew flattened everything. >> reporter: so you're not taking any chances. >> no. i'm 70 years old. i can't take no chance. >> reporter: you're going to be okay. we're glad you're here at the shelter. >> okay, okay, appreciate it. >> reporter: when irma made its first landfall in the keys, all expectations were shattered. more water moving with more force. the streets of key largo resembling the canals of venice. watch as this storm chaser struggles to keep his feet as he tries to clock how strong the winds are, clocking winds as high as 117 miles per hour. in naples, a brief respite from irma's fury as her eye passes over.

20 minutes ago you couldn't seat parki -- see the parking lot. >> reporter: with water distribution lines in naples now broken, those who stayed to weather it out will be forced to boil water. >> we'll find out in just a matter of hours what the devastation is there. david muir reporting from naples. in the meantime, nine people caught on camera looting a store now under arrests. >> suspects smashed through the front of a sports store. they got away with sneakers and e other items, but 20 other suspects were arrested for burglary and looting. we had people come up with aunts and uncles afraid of looting. cash may be hard to find. a large numbe

southwest florida have been out since friday. many were stocking up on cash in case power outages shut down credit card machines. we're getting more information on the ordeal that americans went through in the caribbean. >> and the unit ed states is coming to the rescue.

when i walked through for a cigarette, that's when i knew i had to quit. for real this time. that's why i'm using nicorette. only nicorette gum has patented dual-coated technology for great taste, plus intense craving relief. every great why needs a great how. ♪ my shoulders carry some i deserve others i don't but in the end only one name really matters because shoulders were made for greatness, not dandruff clearasil rapid action begins working fast for clearly visible results in as little as 12 hours. but will it stop this teen from being embarassed by her parents? nope.

teen ings. whatit's up to you, like with tampax pearl.od? you get ultimate protection on your heaviest days, and smooth removal for your lightest. tampax pearl. and pocket pearl, for on the go. (cough) i'm never gonna i'll take a sick day tomorrow. on our daughter's birthday? moms don't take sick days & moms take nyquil severe. the nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep with a cold &medicine.

we're watching more images of hurricane irma whipping up damaging wind. it has weak be tened to a categ one storm, but we're still tice from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 er a.m. >> we're getting a new look at some of the heartbreaking devastation irma left behind in the u.s. virgin islands. this is one of the badly-damaged roads in st. thomas, blockedly tr by tree limbs and branches. >> some of the 1200 already v

writ vacwaited to safety are sharing their story. >> reporter: they were stranded for days. a clearer picture of their harrowing ordeal. michelle and charlie pratt from tampa told us how they thought they'd die as irma ripped apart their hotel room. >> the walls were shaking inside. >> reporter: as the monster storm bears down on florida, they worry they may lose their home. and she rode out the storm in the bathtub. >> it went from the most beautiful resort ever to total destruction. >> reporter: armed gangs wielding swords stole jgeneratos and their purses. here in st. thomas, there is no power. the airport is destroyed. and the only way off is by boat. linzie janis, abc news, st. thomas in the u.s. virgin islands. >> one resident of st. martin said all the food is actually gone right

streets for what is left. >> both the french and dutch governments are sending in more troops to restore order there. 90% of the buildings on the island have been leveled. we're talking about that area completely destroyed. >> we need to keep that in mind. there are many other areas that were hit hard. coming up, the unusual scene of water draining out of bays and canals before irma struck. also ahead, we'll check on other news of the day. stay with us. i'm lucky to get through a shift without a disaster. my bargain detergent couldn't keep up. so, i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated, so i get a better clean. number one trusted. number one awarded. it's got to be tide

some of the sights and sounds of the last 24 hours there, of hurricane irma. and everyone who has been in the path of irma has been focussed on the storm's power and where it is heading next. >> so we spoke with the acting director of the national hurrice

rappaport about what we can expect in the next few hours. thank you for being on with us. what can you tell us now, what's the latest in terms of the storm's trajectory and its power. >> the hurricane is located about 50 miles away from tampa. here's center. here's tampa. it's preceded by a huge area of rainfall, dropping 8-15 inches, locally 20 inches of rain over the florida peninsula. we'll see rainfall totals as high as 12 inches in georgia, south carolina, north carolina too. it's a huge storm. tropical storm force winds cover the entire florida peninsula and extend into the southeast and even hurricane force winds extend from the west coast of florida all the way to the east coast of florida. >> we spoke to the mayor of naples who said they recorded the highest wind gust ever reported in their history. how do you deal with a storm of that level? >> hopefully

work with the officials in naples and managers around the state and the country for years to get ready for storms like this. and our hope is that there is at least minimized loss of life. there will be damage, much of that we can't avoid. but hopefully, there was, there were few or no deaths in this hurricane. >> and what is it that makes a storm like this, this powerful and this big? >> there are a couple of reasons. for one, this is the peak of hurricane season. this means we're at the time of year where the strongest are the hurricanes and the water temperature is the warmest. that's where the energy needed to fuel the hurricane comes from. also the storm happened to occur in an atmospheric environment that was very conducive for very many. very low wind shear for much of the lifetime of the hurricane. so there was no shear off the top of the hurricane versus the bottom. and by having those two together made an eye

strengthening, category five hurricane for more than two days, that was a record for the atlantic. >> and the storm even had 185 mile sustained winds for more than24 hours. that in itself was a record, dr. rappaport a little earlier there. the storm has moved north. there was an eerie sight in tampa as hurricane irma was bearing down on that state. >> so tampa bay itself was literally shocked right out of the bay. i mean, the water went dry. and you can see people walking around on the bay's floor where the water usually is. >> something that the national weather service refers to as a reverse storm surge where the wind pushes the water away from the shore instead of pushing it to the shore. and it was really scary to see these pictures of boats, things that were underneath the water. and here they were clearly

people walking their dogs on what should have been, on what was the bed of tampa bay. >> yeah. >> just one of many incredible images we're getting from the storm. and we'll have more storm coverage for you when we return. stay with us.

your toilet is germ-ridden with mineral buildup. clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach is no match against limescale. but lysol power toilet bowl cleaner has 10x more cleaning power against limescale. so switch to lysol. what it takes to protect. can this much love be cleaned by a little bit of dawn ultra? oh yeah one bottle has the grease cleaning power of three bottles of this other liquid. a drop of dawn and grease is gone.

there have been so many stories of families forced to leave their home. among them is vivi from st. petersburg. we spoke to her earlier. >> can you tell us what's happened the past few days? >> well, we live in a condo in evacuation zone a, so we've been trying to decide what to do. and then my some an and daughted to work at the hospital. so we decided to stay here with the daughter-in-law and the baby. and that's how we came about moving here with them for the

duration of the storm. we're at within of tone of the points in st. petersburg. i am concerned about my home near the skyway bridge. >> tell me what that area's like and why you're so worried. >> it floods easily. and we are right next to the intercostal. if the surge were to come up, after the storm passes then we get the backside of the storm, then the water will come in. >> what went through your mind when you haefrd theard that the had changed course and was heading for you? >> that was very scary, nerve-wracking. we haven't had a direct hit in a long time, so we were, we were concerned. but we took all the precautions necessary. we have to wait until the storm passes, and once everything is calm, we will see if we c

check on it. >> and what are you seeing outside now? >> lots of rain, lots of wind. it's very dark. we do have power still. we did not lose power, but i think that the wind that's coming now, with the force of the, you know, the storm reaching closer to us. >> are you worried about that aspect, knowing that the worst hasn't hit yet? >> a little bit, but we're not as concerned because of the strength of the storm is a lot lower. we'll see what happens. at the moment, everything is okay. we have flickering lights here and there. but we feel safe and comfortable for now. >> safe and comfortable is a very important thing. >> mm-hm. >> and not a lot of people in florida feel that way. >> but like so many people, she was forced to evacuate her home. she still has no idea how much damage they suffered there. we've been looking at the morning paper with the

it shows a downtown area that was probably soaked. >>

this morning on "world news now." hurricane irma is battering florida throughout the night with more wind, rain and damage. >> we're tracking the storm as it moves north, hitting areas that haven't seen a hurricane like this in nearly a century. it is monday, september 11th. from abc news, this is "world news now" >> hurricane irma has been downgraded to a category one storm, but the danger is not over yet. >> it is still packing 85-mile-per-hour winds as it pushes through northern florida and

>> 4.5 million customers have lost power and many hard-hit communities are bracing for more flooding. >> reporter: so we are on, i would call it the good side, you know, they always refer to the east side of the storm as the dirty side, because it's rainier. but the eye is almost even with us. but east. so we're seeing a little bit calmer wind at this point. the real concern here is the storm surge. so how high will that storm surge be? we saw that water earlier today tra drain from the bay and push out into the gulf. that water will be pushed back into the bay. how quickly will that come back in, what will that storm surge look like, what will that look like for the barrier islands. a lot of the barrier islands are low-lying areas. you probably have been

in the area covering flooding. but when you think about the rain they've gotten today plus the storm surge, these houses, it won't take much to put some water on the road. and we are expecting to see a little bit of ponding on the road. we're already seeing water sitting on the low edges of the road. so we'll have to see what that storm surge does as far as what that means for those houses. not quite a complete, you know, sigh of relief here yet. but people are feeling very optimistic that their homes will be okay, at least in this area, guys. >> eva, thank you. and before moving up florida's west coast, it hit ashore in the keys, as a category four storm. crews are evaluating bridges there before anyone will be allowed back into the keys. >> matt gutman is further north in naples with more on irma's destructive

>> reporter: hurricane irma devouring florida, the storm making its first u.s. land fall at cudjoe key. these storm chasers clocking winds at 117 miles per hour. the actual speed may have been higher. just before 10:00 a.m., a 94-mile-per-hour wind gust in miami. those gusts taller at the top of sky scrapers, snapping that crane and ripping off the roof of this apartment building. on the streets below, more than five feet of storm surge swamping downtown miami. >> at minutes pass, the flooding gets worse. >> reporter: the hurricane spawning at least three tornados, multiple homes damaged near melbourne, florida. >> mine's still standing but there's a lot of water coming in the house. >> reporter: that metal wrapped around the mailbox, splinters into the side of homes.

surge. we've just received an urgent alert on our phone like everybody else in naples that the storm surge is coming. the water has gone out toward the gulf of mexico, and officials say it's going to come back in with ferocity. it head its second land fall at marco island, now heading toward tampa. >> everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. we're about to get puchlgsed in the face. >>esq everybody has a plan unti they get punched in the face. >> let's bring in meteorologist kelly ann cicalese. what can you tell us. >> it's weakening at this point. however, the bands pushing through on the north side of the system that are pushing really through northern florida. that is really the concentration where we're sieg teeing the sev weather. that torna w

in effect through the morning. that's in effect for northern florida and also extending into georgia as well. so those bands, those are producing those four-inch-per-hour rainfall rates. and with the track this is following, it's likely going to continue to weaken down to a tropical storm in fact by later this afternoon and evening as it moves into georgia and likely as a depression for the tennessee area. we have several advisories right now. hurricane warnings still up in effect for much of florida. keep in mind, even though the eye right now is about 20 miles northwest of lakeland, florida, we're still seeing the extent of the winds all the way down into miami, 40-mile-plus per hour winds right now. it's going to continue to push northward, the strength of the winds where we see the eye, and as we move into the later afternoon and evening, the winds picking up to 55 to 60

hour as it making its way through georgia. even though it is weakening, we're still seeing strong bands, strong winds, but still significant enough to have damage on property. >> beyond the winds, you have some areas will get more than 12 inches of rain. >> absolutely. we're talking about likelihood of some areas seeing 15 inches of rain. there are flash flood watches that extend well northward through much of georgia, and there's that likelihood of inland flooding. that's a concern. there's that locally 15 inch mark, pushing into georgia. it's not only florida feeling the impact of the flooding, it's also much of georgia likely going to se going to see the impact. we'll see the transfer of florida feeling the brunt of it to georgia. i know a lot of people

florida fled to georgia. >> chasing some people, it seems. we're also hearing reports of a tornado touching down in the daytona area. and we saw how wide that area is. is there one area that's more vulnerable or could it be anywhere along that path? ? really it's the northeast quadrant of the storm. as you look to the eye, look to the northeast of it, and that's where you're seeing the severity of the wind and also the severity of the storms pushing through. so the tornado watch, no surprise in northeast portions of floorerida into georgia. and jacksonville in particular, they'll have to watch. there have been several bands with the sheets of rainfall pounding them one after another. likely going to see some damage in that area. >> that might be the surprising area right there, jacksonville, florida, they might end up getting the most rain. and irma has already weakened significantly, but

tampa was fearing a massive storm surge as the eye of the storm moved closer to that city. >> and we spoke with the mayor of tampa as he was starting to feel the impacts of the storm. >> the wind is picking up. the rain is increasing. we obviously are tracking this storm like everybody else. you know. these are uncertain storms, and while it looks like it is improving for us, we are assuming that it will not. so we are prepped in a cat four mode. we have assets deployed. we have a plan. we have not had a direct hit in over 90 years, but that hasn't stopped us for planning for what we knew was inevitable, which is right now. >> imagine you're planning for flooding as well. >> we are indeed. parts of our city are low-lying. parts of our city are like a bowl. so they hold a lot of water. given the rain that will come, the wind that is pushing it up, the surge that will happen

we will have a high tide. yes, i fully anticipate that those areas along downtown, harbor island will be affected to a greater degree than any place else. >> there were people who evacuated from the east coast thinking think were getting away from the storm and moved into its path. how are you dealing with the extra influx of people in the midst of all this? >> a lot of shelters have been opened by hillsboro county. but you're absolutely right. there were many hotels that had to turn people away. because once we put the evacuation notice out, some of them were in level-a flood zones, so they had to turn people away or turn people out. so yeah, it's been pretty disconcerting for a lot of folks from the east coast ever florida who came over here seeking refuge and then either had to flee or hunker down and hope for the best. >> the mayor of tampa there earlier this morning. and more than

prepared to help get the lights back on in florida. >> that is the hope. at one point, we heard reporting of more than 80% of florida power light customers had lost power. the company has trucks in position in the daytona beach area to try to restore service once irma passes. officials are estimating it could take weeks to get everyone back online. and major cruise lines are sending ships into the caribbean to try to help the islands devastated by irma. royal caribbean is devoting four ships to those efforts, sending fully stocked and staffed ships to hechlp. norwegian cruise lines is sending ships as well. a new threat from north korea. and we'll introduce you to the new ms. america. and do find us on wnn fans.com.

rethink your allergy pills.

helps block 6 key inflammatory substances with a gentle mist. most allergy pills only block one. and 6 is greater than one. flonase sensimist. ♪

so this video is just in to us now. take a look at that. that is the roof of a building being blown off in the brickell section of miami in the downtown area as irma made its way inland. irma is menacing florida, even in its weakened state as a cat gore o catgory one storm. >> irma still could leave a trail of destruction after coming ashore. in naples, it ripped roofs right off of buildings, and tom llamas was there right in the thick of it. >> reporter: you can see the winds, how powerful it is, hurricane irma shredding ft. myers at this hour. just behind

sign. it's been ripped out of the post and it went flying behind my. over here, it's a whiteout. very tough to see. you can see the line of the hurricane winds, it's an east to west wind, shredding those palm trees at this hour. david, i don't have a radar in front of me, but i don't need one. hurricane irma is right over us right now. we are a little more inland, a little more protected. and we're a little concerned because there's a marina across from us. and i'm a little concerned because of the projectiles. so we're going to move back inside. but at this hour, ft. myers is getting ripped apart. there's a curfew. it doesn't matter, you can't be in the streets right now. >> there's a curfew in many areas. >> and president trump has declared a disaster in florida. government funding will be available. 28 states have come forward to help in the effort. irma also ruined travel plans

down major airports all across florida. >> dozens of passengers remain stranded at miami international airport. but they are said to be dry and safe and unaffected by leaks and flooding at the terminal. this is the first time the airport has closed since hurricane katrina. it is expected to reopen tomorrow with limited flights. but it is the biggest airport for international flights in this country. it is screwing up things all around world. >> it could have a big impact. speaking of flights, the u.s. government will resume evacuating citizens from st. martin. they're advised to be ready by noon. more than 1,000 have been evacuated. and some are sharing their stories about how they survived this storm only to face a gang of men who stormed their

with swords. >> bad situation there. coming up, the other headlines of the morning. several people arrested during an antifascism rally in oregon. how police responded. the cowboys come out fighting against the giants. you're watching "world news now." clearasil rapid action begins working fast for clearly visible results in as little as 12 hours. t will it stop this teen from ugging hot sauce? ...oh jeremy. so let's be clear: clearasil works fast on teen acne, not so much on other teen things.

and on with the day's oth

of hurricane irma. north korea is making another threat against the united states. this comes as the u.s. calls for a vote at the u.n. today on new sanctions against kim jong un's regime. no word yet on if those measures will include a ban on gas and oil shipments. but north korea is saying they will make the u.s. pay a hefty price if more sanctions are approved. the death toll from the earthquake in mexico has reached triple digits. thousands of homes and hundreds of schools have been damaged or destroyed. hundreds of thousands of people are now without clean water. seven people have been killed in a shooting in a quiet neighborhood in plano, texas. officers responded to reports of shots fired. entered the home and confronted the suspected shooter. one officer opened fire killing the suspect. all were adults, it broke out during a football-watching party. an investigation is

and violence broke out between two opposing groups at an anti-white nationalist valli in oregon. projectiles were thrown at officers. at least one officer was injured. police seized knives, construction tools and bricks from those protesters. today children of thousands of families in texas faked by hurricane harvey will have seats in their classrooms. the children of newly homeless families are heading back to school across houston after days of interruptions to the school year. they are allowing students to get their education in any school district they choose. and the first sunday night of nfl season saw the giants in texas. >> and what we did not see was giants wide receiver odell beckham jr. who was out with a leg injury. and new york's offense went without him. the only touchdown of the game

witten. cowboys win it 19-3. >> the other big contest being decided on sunday was ms. america. the winner was ms. north dakota. >> don't tell me! >> she beat 50 other women in five categories, including lifestyle, fitness, eveningwear, talent, interview and on-stage questions. >> he said that her mother is her greatest role model. she graduated from brown university and has been accepted into law school at notre dame. not bad at all. >> they spoke to ms. florida at the beginning of the pageant and she spoke about what it was like having a storm hitting while she was there, and she was glad to see her family safe and supporting her but sending a lot of love to her state saying florida strong. >> but they didn't give her the crown. >> no, it was not enough for her to get the crown. >> congratulations ms. north dakota. and it's so

talk football and ms. america considering the news of the day. a tough one for many folks. coming up many so, zoom som most memorable image from irma. so if you're on medicare or will be soon, most memorable image from irma. most memorable image from irma. most memorable image from irma. t memorable image from irma. some morable image from irma. here's why. medicare only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. you might want to consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like any medicare supplement insurance plan, these help pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and, these plans let you choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. you could stay with the doctor or specialist you trust... or go with someone new.

because there aren't any. so don't wait. call now to request your free decision guide and find the aarp medicare supplement plan that works for you. there's a range to choose from, depending on your needs and your budget. rates are competitive. and they're the only plans of their kind endorsed by aarp. like any of these types of plans, they let you apply whenever you want. there's no enrollment window... no waiting to apply. so call now. remember, medicare supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. you'll be able to choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. whether you're on medicare now or turning 65 soon, it's a good time to get your ducks in a row.

duck: quack! call to request your free decision guide now. because the time to think about tomorrow is today. ialmost everything. you know, ke 1 i n 10 houses could get hit by

for only $7 a month, rid-x helps break down waste. avoid a septic disaster with rid-x. hurricane irma is now northeast of tampa, but its winds and rain are still being felt in that area and further south. irma is weakening, though, as it moves over land. it's now a category one with maximum sustained winds of85 miles per hour. but the winds can be felt quite a distance from the center of the storm. because we're still talking about a massive system there. >> and the conditions at this early morning hour, live eastern time will continue to weaken throughout the morning. >> and a florida couple that tried to ride out the storm in a sailboat had to be rescued by sheriff's deputies. someone noticed them in des tress off

rescuers used a patrol boat. so dangerous trying to ride out a storm like this in a boat. >> i can't imagine. many people did it in the key west air yeah. so a situation that some described as creepy took place. >> this is tampa bay after the storm sucked out a whole portion of the water there. you can see people walking around where that water usually is. police came over and told them get back on the sidewalk. the whole concept is called a reverse storm surge. and there's a reason the cops told them to get out of there. >> the wind blew it out to sea. but once the wind changed direction, the water surged back there, giving tampa bay its name once again. >> got to be careful walking out into those areas. but evacuations there weren't just for humans with irma on the way. >> flamingos at bush gardens in

tampa had to be relocated. they marched two by two, getting the cue from noah. they marched into a room where they're riding out the hurricane. >> it really looks like they're in a parade. the birds were just some of 12,000 animals that had to be sheltered before the storm. but makes for an interesting individual yes. a group of manatees got into some trouble. see the receding water here left them stranded. >> the people who found them were luckily able to drag them about 100 yards back into the water. wasn't easy. but wildlife officials did eventually get those manatees out to deeper water to try to prevent this from happening again. >> so ft. pierce, florida holds the record right now for most rain, nearly 15 inch. and despite that and the impending threat of hurricane irma wasn't enough to shut down the

minutes. and were thrilled to see the store open at all. >> they have plenty

report from abc news. hurricane irma, shaking an entire state. >> the powerful storm is making a slow march up florida's spine. >> we're feeling the brunt of lu hurricane irma right now. >> the storm pummeling both coasts. >> naples under water. and a test for tampa this morning, not seeing a storm like this for nearly a century. >> we have, for 90 years avoided this day, but i think our day has come. >> this morning, millions are without power. >> whoa! >> and the dangers are far from over as millions more prepare for irma's punch. >> everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. well, we're about to get punched in the face.

>> the damage left behind. >> where irma is heading right now on this special edition of "world news now." from abc news, this is world news now. >> and we do say good morning to everybody on this busy one. new information about the storm's track and the damage. >> here's the latest information. we have more than 4.5 million customers in florida without power. all the florida airports are closed. it could be days before they're all operating again. and the death toll from this storm is now at 31, with five of the deaths confirmed in florida. >> and hurricane irma is moving inland, east of tampa with winds up to 85 miles per hour. it is moving at a pretty good clip right now, north-northwest at 15 miles per hour. those hurricane force winds can be felt some 80 miles away. just within the last few moments, it has be

to a category one storm, but that doesn't say much. it means the winds have died down, but the powerful flooding situation extending well into southeast georgia. >> we're taking a look at the widespread flooding in the naples area. and officials are urging residents not to leave their shelters yet. you may think things have calmed down, but many roads are blocked by debris, and emergency crews do not want stranded cars in their way. they already have enough challenges to deal with. >> yeah, damage was so severe that officials fear they will find more fatalities today. they'll begin a house to house search in the morning, trying to assess the damage. power is out of course throughout the keys, and there may be problems with the water supply as well. many boats were wrecked or sunk. there were some people we're told rode out the storm in their boats, and streets have been flooded in the keys. >> the tampa area hasn't taken a direct hit from a hurricane in over 90 years.

thankfully, the storm surge overnight has not been as high as feared. most police and fire agencies are not responding to emergency calls overnight because it's too dangerous to go out on the roads. >> but as many people know, it doesn't take much for flooding concerns. matt smith of our tampa station joins us now. good morning, matt. >> reporter: those wind gusts continue to pick up here in tampa, and believe it or not, we said it earlier, this is actually one of the areas that isn't getting it as bad as some other parts. just the other side of the parking garage, where my photographer danny stricker is shooting safely so he can avoid some of these gusts. on the other side of this just in the corner, near north lewis and spruce in that corner, the wind is whipping even higher. the trees look like they're bending. when the gusts stop, you get a chance here, you can see the marriott behind me. th

and i'll step to the side here, and danny can take a look here. when the wind picks up, it looks like a fire hydrant busting around. and that's what we're getting, a lot of redirected wind because of the way the buildings are situated. it is good and safe for those inside of them. but a lot of people have taken shelter inside. we're not seeing people as much as earlier. i'm going to do this one last time. it's the last time we'll be doing it now that the winds are picking up. but it's an indicator of how strong these gusts are. when you try to pick these up against the wind, this is because it's wedged against my hip here. but you can see why these things initially fell off these palm trees in the first place. these palm fronds are going to become projectiles, like many other things. it's one of the many reasons we've been talking about it for days, why people had to really truly clean up. it is a dangerous situation out here and is only getting worse.

keep our back to that moving forward here. you can see when the gusts kick in here, you're seeing those lines of rain come across. you're seeing a lot of power behind this storm right now. that's why we're going to send it back to you. because i'm wrapping up for the evening. we're going to take cover the rest of the night. for now, reporting in tam parks matthew smith, abc action news. >> you can see the water coming down in sheets. >> and marci gonzalez experienced the same thing in the tampa area where the storm surge was not as rough as many feared. but it's still a rough morning for those in the bay. good morning, marci. >> reporter: hi, guys, good morning. the rain here has calmed quite a bit as you can see. but the wind is still a very big concern. so much so that fire rescuers here say if there is an emergency, they will not be able to respond, because it is just too dangerous.

hurricane irma, battering the sunshine state. wind gusts, topping 140 miles per hour, tearing the roof off this building. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: toppling trees and construction cranes. snapping power lines. first making landfall in florida in the keys, then again on the west coast. the monstrous storm impacting the entire state. streets flooded in miami. tornados touching down in central florida. >> i ran screaming through the glass door closed. >> reporter: and the major concern on the gulf coast, the storm surge, with the hurricane sucking water out of canals and tampa bay before sending it rushing it back in. >> everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. and we're about to get punched in the face. >> reporter: in naples,

neighborhoods under water but still a sigh of relief. >> we know that the storm surge models of ten, eight to ten feet are likely not going to occur. we have dodged a bullet. >> reporter: at this shelter there, one of 500 open across the state. irma's fury on full display. cracking the front door and knocking out power. >> fand pandemonium. we were very scared, very worried. >> reporter: the number of those out of power is expected to climb. >> we'll start seeing rescue efforts getting under way, what do we expect on that front? >> reporter: well, they were initially expecting a storm surge of five to eight feet. that's why you're hearing all of that concern. now because irma weakened. they're saying that the storm surge could be half of that, even two to four feet. it could be even less. it's still too soon to know. as

windy that no one is out seeing what the conditions are, if anyone needs to be rescued. they're going to wait until the sun comes up this morning to start to assess the situation more. >> that's marcy gonzalez. thank you so much. >> let's move on to kelly ann cicalese. who's our meteorologist from wcvb. >> we're still seeing very strong bands pushing through and moving northward. the bands with the heavy downpours that have us concerned. there's one band moving through. moving toward jacksonville right now is where we had the tornado watch up and in effect. and that extends into southern georgia as well. can you see that redness on the screen, that's indicating where we do see the threat of severe weather.

moving along the track, tallahassee getting into this system as we move through the early morning hours. it is going to likely weaken, though, of course it's interacting with the land. eventually as we move into the middle of the workweek it will be a remnant. wind gusts, it's the back side of the system that brings the wind. we'll have to watch that. even through to tomorrow we'll see wind gusts at 65 miles per hour at times. atlanta, 50-mile-per-hour wind gusts by monday evening. so we do have advisories up right now. still several. there are still hurricane warnings throughout much of florida. now that extends into southern georgia. tropical storm warnings and high wind warnings now extending into carolinas. and even touching some portions of virginia. this is a massive system. but more so, the wind impact is very high.

it only takes 40 miles per hour winds to see damage to a home. we're likely going to see it extending well into georgia and possibly into some western portions of the carolinas. >> some areas of atlanta seeing winds of 50 miles per hour. before hitting tampa, irma hugged the florida coast to the south. >> the storm surge left some is homes completely under water. we spoke with naples mayor bill barnett who said despite all that, it could have been much worse. >> we have a very early assessment of the damage that was caused. we've got flooding. >> the worst of the storm i know is past you, but the storm surge is the focus. you got quite a big rise earlier in the day. what's the latest on that now? >> if there is a bright spot in all of this, that's it. because the back of the storm broke up.

and we actually had very minimal storm surge. it would have been catastrophic had we got and, what was predicted, 12 to 15 feet. i heard predictions from 12 to 20 feet, but it did not happen. the only thing that we're dealing with now, or we will need to deal with in the next few days is the fact that, you know, that wind is out of the west and was bringing that water back in. and we've got a low tide coming up, which is good, but the problem is, if that wind is keeping some of that water, that's something, again, we have flooding, we have damage, we don't know what the extent is. but it could have been a lot worse. from the initial, what i've heard, is that no major structural damage, so we all might have some damage from trees and from, you know, things that probably blew around and might have done some damage, but i think that everybody,

home you know and see what we're facing. i don't think anybody lost a home or had it totally destroyed. so that is a positive note. >> positive note we will certainly appreciate right now. irma also ruined travel plans for thousands, shutting down major airports all across florida, miami, ft. lauderdale, orlando. >> dozens remain stranded. but they're said to be dry, safe, and unaffected by the leaks and flooding in the terminal. this is the first time the airport has closed since hurricane katrina. miami's airport is expected to reopen tomorrow with limited flights. >> they are still getting high winds in the area, because the storm is so big. still getting hit by some of those bands. we are keeping track of the storm for you. we'll have much more on

hurricane irma coming up, including how people are riding out the storm as the shelters around them get damaged. but also we're covering other news, including steve bannon's first interview. since leaving the white house. and we'll tell you what he says was the biggest mistake in modern political history. bannan bannon's first interview. and you look amazing...ly comfortable. when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck... that's when you know it's half-washed. add downy to keep your collars from stretching. unlike detergent alone, downy conditions to smooth... ...and strengthen fibers. so, don't half-wash it. downy and it's done.

your toilet is germ-ridden with mineral buildup. clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach is no match against limescale. but lysol power toilet bowl cleaner has 10x more cleaning power against limescale. so switch to lysol. what it takes to protect. (male #1) it's a little something i've done every night since i was a kid, empty my pocket change into this old jar. it's never much, just what's left after i break a dollar. and i never thought i could get quality life insurance with my spare change. neither did i. until i saw a commercial for the colonial penn program. imagine people our age getting life insurance at such an affordable rate. it's true. if you're 50 to 85, you can get guaranteed acceptance life insurance through the colonial penn program for less than 35 cents a day, just $9.95 a month. there's no medical exam and no health questions. you know, the average cost of a funeral is over $8,300.

as long as you're 50 to 85, you cannot be turned down because of your health. your premium never goes up and your benefit never goes down due to age. plus, your coverage builds cash value over time. call now for free information and a free gift. all i did was make a phone call and all of my questions about the colonial penn program were answered. it couldn't have been any easier and we both got the coverage we should have had for years now. mm-hm, with change to spare. (laughing) (colonial penn jingle)

we're back now with the breaking news, hurricane irma, a category one storm with winds up to 85 miles per hour in this early morning hour, and now lashing the tampa area as the storm heads into the central part of that state. now let's check in on some video from the area. check out that traffic light. it's showing one reason why drivers need to stay off the roads. that traffic light is hanging on by a single wire thanks to the strong winds there. and shelters are full, with travelers from the east coast thinking that's where they would be safe. >> and the path shifted a little bit, some people were turned away and had to keep moving. we get more from victor oquendo. >> reporter: from high school gyms to hockey arenas, families hunkering down. to wait out this storm. some 500 shelters sheltering

more than 116,000 people now calling them home. here, this family got to this community center in the nick of time. >> pandemonium, we were very scared. >> reporter: when the power went out, people watching through the window, about an hour later, the window shattering. they taped up the glass. they actually cleared out this whole area. this room was packed with people in awe, watching the winds pick up. nearly 400 people in this shelter alone, and that's not all. ray kretz takes us into a storage room, 120 pest in crates, including his own golden retriever, farley. >> nice to see those pets safe and invited into the shelter. >> you can kind of see the fear in farley's eyes. nald trump became president.ry also pope francis injured. the other news of the morning, next. pope francis

the other news of the morning, next.

we're going to continue watching the path of hurricane irma, now a category one storm, but we do want to turn from that to other major headlines this morning. >> this morning is the 16th anniversary of the september 11 terror attacks. and president trump will preside over his first 9/11 ceremony as president. >> the first lady will join him at a commemoration later this morning at the pentagon. >> vice president pence will attend a separate ceremony in shanksville, pennsylvania. and here in new york, the annual reading of names will take place at ground zero. now president trump's former chief strategy, steve bannon has meanwhile taken aim at what he calls the republican establishment in his first television interview since leaving the white house. on 60 minutes, he declared wear on the gop leadership, accusing them of stonewalling president

>> the swamp is a business model. a permanent political class as represented by both parties. you're not going to drain that in eight months, you're not going to drain it in two terms. it's going to take ten, 15, 10 years. >> the firing of james comey was, quote, the biggest mistake in modern political history. meanwhile, hillary clinton is opening up about president trump ahead of tomorrow's release of her memoir. she thinks president trump won the election by stoking racial grievances, in her words, among millions of white people. she confirmed she will not be running again. and the pope's final day in colombia got off to a bumpy start when he hit his head in the popemobile. but he did get bandaged up, continuing on with his full schedule with a bruise and black eye.

and rafael nadal has won the u.s. open. for his 16th grand slam. he won the french open as well. won the frenchow open as now.

are you taking the tissue test? yep, and my teeth are yellow. time for whitestrips. crest whitestrips whiten... ...25x better than a leading whitening toothpaste. nice smile! thanks! i crushed the tissue test. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. ialmost everything. you know, ke 1 i n 10 houses could get hit by

but for only $7 a month, rid-x helps break down waste. avoid a septic disaster with rid-x. some of the images there that we've seen since hurricane irma made land fall here in the u.s. >> we've been looking at some reporters, not only with our network but networks out there in some of the worst conditions, which can be tricky when you want to get out there and get the story out, but they have to watch for their own safety. and here's an example of some of the coverage we saw. >> this is exactly why we evacuated. we feared, these winds are really intense here.

i don't have a radar in front of me, but i don't need one. hurricane irma is right over us right now. we are a little more inland, a little more protected and a little concerned, because there's an arena across from us. and i'm a little concerned about the projectiles, so we're going to move back inside. >> look at this. you can really start to feel the wind and the rain. i'm getting blown away here, so you know what, j.c. and eric, we're going to hand it back to you. >> we'll show you what we're seeing off here just off behind me, woo, when that rain hits your face, it really hurts, guys. >> i do want to get back to matt gutman and his crew, if you can hear me, just reassure me that you are okay. we lost his audio, but producers assure me that he is okay. >> i believe i'm standing pretty

and you can see how far i've sunk down into the sand. >> this is why they should not be out on the roads. should not be taking any unnecessary risks because there is literally a hurricane right outside. >> really strong out here right now. actually difficult to even keep our balance, and so, yeah. ah! >> it's also kind of hard to tell in which direction the wind is blowing. there is a sort of circular swirl happening. the eye wall is clearly, i don't know, within a few miles of where we are standing. >> quite a scene there. the last 24, 48 hours for many of these reporters who are vets at covering hurricanes. but even so, hurricane irma was a powerful one that caught a lot of them offguard. >> we saw a lot of them having trouble just standing in the storm. they eventually had to go inside

couldn't make it out there anymore. >> continuing coverage here as well as our facebook page at wnn fans.com. >> we have more on the storm

hurricane irma shaking an entire state. >> the powerful storm is making a slow march up florida's spine. >> we're feeling the brunt of hurricane irma right now. >> the fierce winds clobbering both coasts. >> oh, my god. >> construction cranes toppling over miami's skyline. naples underwater and a test for tampa this morning. not seeing a hurricane like this in nearly a century. >> we have for 90 years avoided this day. but i think our day has come. >> this morning millions are without power. >> whoa! >> and the dangers are far from over as millions more prepare for irma's punch. >> everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. well, we're about to get punched in the face.