Five years ago today, Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida. It was the first major hurricane to hit the state since Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
The storm hit Cudjoe Key on September 10, 2017 at 9:10 a.m. as a Category 4 hurricane. It then weakened to a Category 3 as it traveled to Marco Island. The system continued to weaken overnight as it moved into Central and Northern Florida.
Hurricane Irma caused around $50 billion in damages, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history.
In Collier County, nearly 100 buildings were destroyed. And in Lee County, responders were left to clear 2.7 million cubic yards of debris. The storm also caused the largest recorded power outage in the state, with 6.7 million people reporting a loss of utilities.
Some of the highest sustained winds were recorded in Naples and Marco Island, with the highest being 112 mph on Marco Island.
Over 6 million Florida residents evacuated from the storm, the largest evacuation in our state's history.
