Recovery

Florida Gov. Rick Scott placed the highest urgency on the impact Irma will have on the state.

The drop, a little less than 1 percent since last year, adds another wrinkle to managing flooding from natural disasters.

Irma evacuation: Should I stay or go?

U.S. authorities were trying to get some 6,000 Americans off of St. Martin Friday morning as Hurricane Jose approached.

'This is an unprecedented event. We are now rewriting the book as we go.'

As of the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. update, Hurricane Irma had dropped to a category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds at 150 mph, just under the category 5 threshold.

Trying to collect and send food, clothing, furniture and other household goods to a flood zone can actually interfere with relief efforts.

The latest model from the National Hurricane Center shows Irma crossing over Florida — and making landfall somewhere between the central Florida coast and South Carolina.

Hurricane Jose, currently labeled a Category 1 hurricane and likely to be upgraded, follows closely behind Irma.

'I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible.'

For those who abandon their animals, such as chaining up their dog in a backyard without food or water, they will be issued two citations — animal cruelty and abandonment.

American Airlines capped single leg flights out of Miami, Fla., at $99, while JetBlue reduced fares on remaining seats on flights in the areas expected to be impacted by the weather to between $99 and $159.

AT&T, Verizon and Sprint say their towers and antennae systems are built to withstand significant wind and flood risks, that their switching centers have been hardened and that permanent and backup generators will kick on when power goes out

The latest projected track from National Hurricane Center forecasters Wednesday night had shifted east from earlier predictions on where the storm would go.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes, set a wild, wind-churned course toward Puerto Rico, with the U.S. mainland in its sights, probably over the weekend.