Irma Zeroes in on Florida With $200 Billion Damage Bill Forecast
- Half of Florida’s population may end up losing power
- Storm damages may reach $200 billion, topping Katrina
Insurers Brace for Hurricane Irma's Florida Impact
Hurricane Irma was strengthening ahead of an all-but-certain collision with southern Florida after devastating the Caribbean islands and threatening to become the most expensive storm in U.S. history.
With top winds of 155 miles (249 kilometers) an hour, the life-threatening storm grew in size, meaning most of Florida will face hurricane-force winds as it cuts a path through the peninsula into Georgia. Now a Category 4 system, Irma is forecast to regain power through Sunday when it may reach Category 5 again, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said late Friday. It has already left at least 21 people dead, thousands homeless across the Caribbean and threatens to rack up as much as $200 billion in damages.