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Hurricane Irma has claimed her first victim on the US mainland as the eye of the superstorm slammed into Florida’s southern peninsula on Sunday.
The deadly storm strengthened into a category four hurricane as it crossed the sea from Cuba, after ripping through the Caribbean on a six-day rampage which left a trail of devastation in its wake.
Irma reached the lower Florida Keys on Sunday morning local time as the National Hurricane Centre warned the storm is expected to remain powerful as it moves along the state’s west coast.
One man was killed in a pickup truck crash caused by the weather, police said as authorities pleaded with the public to seek shelter.
More than six million people were told to evacuate their homes and tens of thousands of people are currently holed up in shelters in anticipation for the destruction.
Forecasters warned tornadoes are also expected to continue sweeping through a large swathe of south Florida.
As Miami was lashed with rain and high winds, doctors were forced to give instructions to one pregnant woman over the phone as she delivered her baby herself at home.
Firefighters were unable to respond in time to the woman’s emergency call, but managed to rescue the new mum and her baby on Sunday morning.
Irma, which was at one point the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic, made landfall with 130mph winds and life-threatening high seas shortly after 8am local time.
Hurricane Irma – In pictures
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Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Reuters
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Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma
AP
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Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic
PA
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A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Reuters
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Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti
AFP/Getty Images
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Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami
AP
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Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic
PA
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Damage outside the “Mercure” hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach
AP
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches.
AFP/Getty Images
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Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango’s, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid
AFP/Getty Images
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A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida
EPA
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Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
AP
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A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti
EPA
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla
MoD/Crown copyright 2017
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HMS Ocean, as a military task group, is on its way on HMS Ocean with several hundred UK troops to offer assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma as the storm continues to lay waste to swathes of the Caribbean, including British overseas territories
PA
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the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten
AP
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Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees
AP
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Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
AP
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Damage from Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
AP
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Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport
AP
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Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean
AP
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sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean
AP
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Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport
AP
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damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
AP
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Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
AP
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Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
AP
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Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Destroyed palm trees, outside the “Mercure” hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Damaged vehicles are seen following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
Reuters
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A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin
Reuters
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Ships wrecked ashore, in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Damage outside “Le flamboyant” hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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More damage in Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
Splash News
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Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida
AFP/Getty Images
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Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands
Reuters
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A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean
AFP/Getty Images
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
Rex
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Damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
Rex
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Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands
Rex
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Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA
epa
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
Splash News
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iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin
Reuters
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Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin
Splash News
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Barbuda
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Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Reuters
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A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy
AFP/Getty Images
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Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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Barbuda
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Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
AP
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Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy
AFP/Getty Images
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People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Reuters
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Barbuda
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A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island
AFP/Getty Images
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Barbuda
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Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico
EPA
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The destruction at Sir Richard Branson’s island of Necker
Sir Richard Branson
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Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John’s
AP
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Florida residents fleeing from the expected path of Irma
EPA
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Cars left flooded in Saint Martin
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Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding
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Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin
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Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin
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Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin
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Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin
Carole Greaux
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Saint Martin
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Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma
AP
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A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image
AFP/Getty Images
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A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe’s in Jacksonville, Florida
AP
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Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma
Getty Images
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Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami
AFP/Getty Images
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Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Reuters
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Cars wait in line at a petrol station in North Miami as people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma
AFP/Getty Images
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People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin
AFP/Getty Images
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Residents and municipal employees work together to fill sandbags at Bartlett Park as residents in the area gather supplies and prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma in St. Petersburg, Florida
Getty Images
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A shelf normally containing packaged water is empty at a Piggly Wiggly store in Panama City, Florida
AP
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People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches
AP
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A thermal image of Harricane Irma
NOAA
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Men in Puerto Rico board up their homes as Hurricane Irma heads for Caribbean
EPA
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Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose
AFP/Getty Images
In an interview with ABC news as Florida braced itself for the storm, governor Rick Scott said: “Pray for us.”
More than half a million homes and businesses were already without power on Sunday morning.
The damage is likely to cost billions of dollars.
A fund set up by all five living former US presidents to help Hurricane Harvey victims, the One America Appeal, is already making preparations to send money to the crisis-hit area.
After its predicted journey changed, Irma is now forecast to follow a path along Florida’s western coast near Tampa and St Petersburg.
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