🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 49 (from laksa046)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa049.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/staggering-power-hurricane-irma-numbers\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/staggering-power-hurricane-irma-numbers\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/science\/staggering-power-hurricane-irma-numbers","crawl_time":1774465033,"first_indexed_time":1509179003,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,pbs!www,\/newshour\/science\/staggering-power-hurricane-irma-numbers s443","src_root_hash":"9407793774086526849","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Hurricane Irma's staggering power in numbers | PBS News","meta_descriptions":["As Hurricane Irma churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Hurricane Irma has hammered the Caribbean this week, devastating the islands with flooding and wreckage. As it churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind.\n55.\nThe number of hours Irma has spent as a Category 5 hurricane, as of 3 pm E.T.,\nmaking it the fourth longest on record\n. Irma will likely pass  number three on the list -- 2004's Hurricane Ivan (60 hours) -- by this evening. The storm started to pour over Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and other Leeward Islands late Tuesday. At least 10 people died across the Caribbean, including\na two-year-old child on Barbuda\n, where officials said 90 percent of structures had been destroyed.\n185 miles per hour.\nThe maximum sustained winds that directly pummeled these islands. Destruction also occurred through storm surge.\nBarbuda\nrecorded eight-foot storm surges, and people on Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy reported massive flooding. Four people died on Saint-Martin and\n60 percent of its homes are now uninhabitable\n. Anguilla also reported one fatality and said 90 percent of roads are out of commission.\nHurricane Irma damage on Saint Maarten seen from Dutch naval helicopter.\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B\/\nHurricane Jose, which upgraded to a Category 3 storm Thursday, is slated to hit the Leeward Islands Saturday. It's the first time since 2008 that the Atlantic Ocean has developed 3 major hurricanes before Sept. 7, according to Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Philip Klotzbach.\n900,000.\nHalf the island of Puerto Rico -- 900,000 people -- lost electricity Wednesday night and\n50,000 were without access to water\n, even though the eye of Hurricane Irma passed north of the U.S. territory.\nOn the British Virgin Islands, where Irma also struck Wednesday afternoon, Sam Branson -- son of billionaire Richard -- documented rooftops ripped off buildings and several destroyed buildings. The U.S. Virgin Islands\nreported widespread damage\ntoo.\n34.\nThe next 24 hours should dictate where and if Irma makes landfall, and this final determination may rely on a forecast model created by 34 European nations. As Eric Berger\nreported for Ars Technica\n, the European model -- or  European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts -- is riding a hot streak of consistency right now:\nOften, the model produced by this intergovernmental organization of 34 nations generates the best forecasts for hurricane tracks. In some cases, during Hurricane Harvey, it even\nexceeded\nthe skill of human forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.\nFor this reason, the European model now has an outsized influence on the forecasts for hurricanes around the world, including those in the Atlantic, and in particular Hurricane Irma, which presently threatens the Caribbean Islands as well as the southeastern United States.\nThe European model excels because it takes longer -- once every 12 hours --\nto pump out a more detailed supercomputer simulation\n, relative to predictive models created in the U.S. The National Hurricane Center relies on both to build the cones for its hurricane warning maps, but the European model had Irma tracking toward Miami as early as Wednesday afternoon, while other models pushed the storm further east and out to sea.\nThe latest forecast from the European model continues to project landfall\nin the Florida Keys, near Marathon, Berger reported.\nOn Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the southern tip of Florida. They predict the storm will create a 20-foot storm surge for the Bahamas before reaching the U.S. with 145-miles-per-hour winds.\nThat's troubling because...\n25\nis the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the\nNaples Daily News\n. When Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, much of the\n$25 billion in structural damage\nwas caused by the storm's\n160-mile-per-hour winds\n, though nine- to 16-foot storm surges\ntossed boats ashore like softballs\n. Miami-Dade evacuation orders\nwere expanded on Thursday\n.\nIf Irma hits south Florida as a Category 4 during high tide, the region could experience inland flooding across\nFlorida's southernmost 100 miles\n. Meanwhile,\nless than half of the homes in Florida's coastal counties\nhave flood insurance.\nThursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami\n14\nSuperfund toxic waste sites are located in Miami-Dade county.\n7 trillion.\nMIT meteorologist Kerry Emanuel told the Associated Press the\namount of energy in Hurricane Irma is approximately 7 trillion watts\nor more than all of the bombs dropped during World War II. This dynamo led the storm to maintain\nwinds of 185 miles per hour for 37 hours\n, a record for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma has been a major hurricane for nearly four days, trailing only 1995 Hurricane Luis in longevity.\nA free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.\nSupport trusted journalism and civil dialogue.","attrs_markdown":"[Full Episode ![](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/static\/assets\/images\/placeholder.jpg)](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/march-24-2026-pbs-news-hour-full-episode)\n\n[Tuesday, Mar 24](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/march-24-2026-pbs-news-hour-full-episode)\n\nClose Menu\n\n[PBS NewsHour](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/ \"PBS NewsHour\")\n\n- [Episodes](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/video)\n- [Podcasts](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/podcasts)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/newsletters)\n\n- [The Latest](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/latest)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics)\n  \n  ![Politics](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/static\/assets\/images\/placeholder.jpg)\n  \n  - [Brooks and Capehart](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tag\/brooks-and-capehart)\n  - 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As it churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind.\n\n**25** is the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the Naples Daily News.\n\n**55\\.** The number of hours Irma has spent as a Category 5 hurricane, as of 3 pm E.T., [making it the fourth longest on record](https:\/\/twitter.com\/philklotzbach\/status\/905782802200764416). Irma will likely pass number three on the list -- 2004's Hurricane Ivan (60 hours) -- by this evening. The storm started to pour over Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and other Leeward Islands late Tuesday. At least 10 people died across the Caribbean, including [a two-year-old child on Barbuda](https:\/\/weather.com\/storms\/hurricane\/news\/hurricane-irma-caribbean-impacts-puerto-rico), where officials said 90 percent of structures had been destroyed.\n\n**185 miles per hour.** The maximum sustained winds that directly pummeled these islands. Destruction also occurred through storm surge. [Barbuda](http:\/\/surge.srcc.lsu.edu\/irma_2017.html) recorded eight-foot storm surges, and people on Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy reported massive flooding. Four people died on Saint-Martin and [60 percent of its homes are now uninhabitable](https:\/\/www.afp.com\/en\/news\/205\/deadly-devastation-irma-rips-through-caribbean). Anguilla also reported one fatality and said 90 percent of roads are out of commission.\n\n*Hurricane Irma damage on Saint Maarten seen from Dutch naval helicopter.*[https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B\/](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B\/)\n\nHurricane Jose, which upgraded to a Category 3 storm Thursday, is slated to hit the Leeward Islands Saturday. It's the first time since 2008 that the Atlantic Ocean has developed 3 major hurricanes before Sept. 7, according to Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Philip Klotzbach.\n\n**900,000.** Half the island of Puerto Rico -- 900,000 people -- lost electricity Wednesday night and [50,000 were without access to water](https:\/\/www.apnews.com\/77a9a82f58d04bdbb122832b297b199d\/Hurricane-Irma-toll-hits-10,-increasing-threat-for-Florida), even though the eye of Hurricane Irma passed north of the U.S. territory.\n\nOn the British Virgin Islands, where Irma also struck Wednesday afternoon, Sam Branson -- son of billionaire Richard -- documented rooftops ripped off buildings and several destroyed buildings. The U.S. Virgin Islands [reported widespread damage](http:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/thetwo-way\/2017\/09\/07\/549136781\/devastation-of-epic-proportions-in-caribbean-wake-of-hurricane-irma) too.\n\n> [Warning: This video is quite traumatic. Tortola today after \\#hurricaneirma. Most buildings completely destroyed. Many left homeless. Beyond tragic. My deepest wishes go to all those affected. Still no news from Virgin Gorda. \\#bvi \\#hurricaneirma \\#destruction \\#devastation \\#tragic \\#climatechange \\#hope](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYu71CmA2JQ\/)\n> \n> A post shared by Sam Branson (@bransonsam) on Sep 7, 2017 at 1:37am PDT\n\n**34\\.** The next 24 hours should dictate where and if Irma makes landfall, and this final determination may rely on a forecast model created by 34 European nations. As Eric Berger [reported for Ars Technica](https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2017\/09\/heres-what-the-worlds-most-accurate-weather-model-predicts-for-irma\/), the European model -- or European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts -- is riding a hot streak of consistency right now:\n\n> Often, the model produced by this intergovernmental organization of 34 nations generates the best forecasts for hurricane tracks. In some cases, during Hurricane Harvey, it even [exceeded](https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2017\/09\/at-times-during-harvey-the-european-model-outperformed-humans\/) the skill of human forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.\n> \n> For this reason, the European model now has an outsized influence on the forecasts for hurricanes around the world, including those in the Atlantic, and in particular Hurricane Irma, which presently threatens the Caribbean Islands as well as the southeastern United States.\n\nThe European model excels because it takes longer -- once every 12 hours -- [to pump out a more detailed supercomputer simulation](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/storyline\/hurricane-irma\/predicting-irma-s-path-giving-supercomputers-challenge-n798961), relative to predictive models created in the U.S. The National Hurricane Center relies on both to build the cones for its hurricane warning maps, but the European model had Irma tracking toward Miami as early as Wednesday afternoon, while other models pushed the storm further east and out to sea. [The latest forecast from the European model continues to project landfall](https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2017\/09\/destination-florida-how-confident-we-can-be-in-hurricane-irmas-track\/) in the Florida Keys, near Marathon, Berger reported.\n\nOn Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the southern tip of Florida. They predict the storm will create a 20-foot storm surge for the Bahamas before reaching the U.S. with 145-miles-per-hour winds.\n\nThat's troubling because...\n\n**25** is the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the [Naples Daily News](http:\/\/www.naplesnews.com\/story\/news\/2017\/09\/06\/hurricane-irma-track-could-impact-vulnerable-florida-bridges-surge-wind\/636694001\/). When Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, much of the [\\$25 billion in structural damage](http:\/\/www.nhc.noaa.gov\/1992andrew.html) was caused by the storm's [160-mile-per-hour winds](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/09\/06\/us\/hurricane-andrew-miami.html?mcubz=0), though nine- to 16-foot storm surges [tossed boats ashore like softballs](https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/media\/publications\/assessments\/andrew.pdf). Miami-Dade evacuation orders [were expanded on Thursday](http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/weather\/hurricane\/article171780902.html).\n\nIf Irma hits south Florida as a Category 4 during high tide, the region could experience inland flooding across [Florida's southernmost 100 miles](http:\/\/www.floridadisaster.org\/publicmapping\/). Meanwhile, [less than half of the homes in Florida's coastal counties](https:\/\/www.apnews.com\/4eca3297f1884414b95d66659668b2f1\/AP-Exclusive:-Most-Florida-flood-zone-property-not-insured?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top-stories) have flood insurance.\n\n![Thursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Miami-flood-warnings_11am.png)\n\nThursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami\n\n**14** Superfund toxic waste sites are located in Miami-Dade county.\n\n**7 trillion.** MIT meteorologist Kerry Emanuel told the Associated Press the [amount of energy in Hurricane Irma is approximately 7 trillion watts](http:\/\/www.oregonlive.com\/today\/index.ssf\/2017\/09\/rains_from_monster_hurricane_i.html) or more than all of the bombs dropped during World War II. This dynamo led the storm to maintain [winds of 185 miles per hour for 37 hours](https:\/\/twitter.com\/philklotzbach\/status\/905814289977548800), a record for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma has been a major hurricane for nearly four days, trailing only 1995 Hurricane Luis in longevity.\n\n## Grow your mind\nSubscribe to our Science Newsletter to explore the wide worlds of science, health and technology.\n\nA free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.\n\nSupport trusted journalism and civil dialogue.\n\n[Donate now](https:\/\/give.newshour.org\/page\/88646\/donate\/1?ea.tracking.id=pbs_news_sept_2025_article&supporter.appealCode=N2509AW1000100)\n\nLeft: Waves crash against the shore as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. Photo by Ivan Alvarado\/REUTERS\n\n## Go Deeper\n- [caribbean](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tag\/caribbean)\n- [florida](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tag\/florida)\n- [hurricane irma](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tag\/hurricane-irma)\n- [miami](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tag\/miami)\n- [storm surge](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tag\/storm-surge)\n\n[![Nsikan Akpan](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/static\/2015\/12\/Nsikan-Akpan_headshot-150x150.jpg)](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/author\/nsikan-akpan)\n\nBy —\n\n[Nsikan Akpan](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/author\/nsikan-akpan)   [Nsikan Akpan](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/author\/nsikan-akpan)\n\nNsikan Akpan is the digital science producer for PBS NewsHour and co-creator of the award-winning, NewsHour digital series [ScienceScope](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tag\/sciencescope).\n***\n[@MoNscience](https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoNscience)\n\nSupport Provided By: [Learn more](https:\/\/help.pbs.org\/support\/solutions\/articles\/5000677869)\n\n[![Evergreen\\_WebAd\\_Sidebar\\_DonateNow](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/static\/2026\/01\/Evergreen_WebAd_Sidebar_DonateNow.png)](https:\/\/give.newshour.org\/page\/80037\/donate\/1?ea.tracking.id=pbs_news_evergreen_main_donate&supporter.appealCode=N2600AW0200000)\n\n### Educate your inbox\nSubscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.\n\n[Full Episode ![](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/static\/assets\/images\/placeholder.jpg)](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/march-24-2026-pbs-news-hour-full-episode)\n\n[Tuesday, Mar 24](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/march-24-2026-pbs-news-hour-full-episode)\n\n- [![Cunard](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/cunardlogo.svg)](https:\/\/www.cunard.com\/en-us)\n- [![BNSF Railway](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/bnsf-railway.png)](https:\/\/www.bnsf.com\/)\n- [![Consumer Cellular](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/consumer-cellular.png)](https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/pbs)\n- [![Raymond James](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/raymond-james.png)](https:\/\/www.raymondjames.com\/)\n- [![Viewers Like You](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/viewers.png)](http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/cgi-registry\/sitemembershiplink.cgir)\n- [![Friends of the News Hour](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/fonh.png)](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/support\/friends-of-the-newshour?utm_source=newshour%20additional%20page&utm_medium=png)\n\n[PBS News](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/ \"PBS News\")\n\n© 1996 - 2026 NewsHour Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.\n\nPBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.\n\nSections\n\n- [The Latest](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/latest)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics)\n- [Arts](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/arts)\n- [Nation](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/world)\n- [Economy](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/economy)\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/science)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health)\n- [Education](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/education)\n\nAbout\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/about)\n- [TV Schedule](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/tv-schedule)\n- [Press](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/press-releases)\n- [Feedback](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/about\/contact-us)\n- [Funders](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/about\/funders)\n- [Support](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/support)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/newsletters)\n- [Podcasts](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/podcasts)\n- [Jobs](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/jobs)\n- [Privacy](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/about\/about-pbs\/privacy-policy\/)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/about\/about-pbs\/terms-of-use\/)\n\nStay Connected\n\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/newshour)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/PBSNewsHour)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/newshour\/)\n- [X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/NewsHour)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@pbsnews)\n- [Threads](https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@newshour)\n- [RSS](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/feeds\/rss\/headlines)\n\nSubscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins\n\n[Support our journalism](https:\/\/give.newshour.org\/page\/91106\/donate\/1?ea.tracking.id=pbs_news_2025_giving_tuesday_websit_footer_donate&supporter.appealCode=N2511AW03001AA)\n\nSupport for News Hour Provided By\n\n- [![Cunard](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/cunardlogo.svg)](https:\/\/www.cunard.com\/en-us)\n- [![BNSF Railway](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/bnsf-railway.png)](https:\/\/www.bnsf.com\/)\n- [![Consumer Cellular](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/consumer-cellular.png)](https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/pbs)\n- [![Raymond James](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/raymond-james.png)](https:\/\/www.raymondjames.com\/)\n- [![Viewers Like You](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/themes\/pbs-newshour\/assets\/img\/sponsors\/viewers-like-you.png)](http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/cgi-registry\/sitemembershiplink.cgir)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Hurricane Irma has hammered the Caribbean this week, devastating the islands with flooding and wreckage. As it churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind.\n\n**55\\.** The number of hours Irma has spent as a Category 5 hurricane, as of 3 pm E.T., [making it the fourth longest on record](https:\/\/twitter.com\/philklotzbach\/status\/905782802200764416). Irma will likely pass number three on the list -- 2004's Hurricane Ivan (60 hours) -- by this evening. The storm started to pour over Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and other Leeward Islands late Tuesday. At least 10 people died across the Caribbean, including [a two-year-old child on Barbuda](https:\/\/weather.com\/storms\/hurricane\/news\/hurricane-irma-caribbean-impacts-puerto-rico), where officials said 90 percent of structures had been destroyed.\n\n**185 miles per hour.** The maximum sustained winds that directly pummeled these islands. Destruction also occurred through storm surge. [Barbuda](http:\/\/surge.srcc.lsu.edu\/irma_2017.html) recorded eight-foot storm surges, and people on Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy reported massive flooding. Four people died on Saint-Martin and [60 percent of its homes are now uninhabitable](https:\/\/www.afp.com\/en\/news\/205\/deadly-devastation-irma-rips-through-caribbean). Anguilla also reported one fatality and said 90 percent of roads are out of commission.\n\n*Hurricane Irma damage on Saint Maarten seen from Dutch naval helicopter.*[https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B\/](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B\/)\n\nHurricane Jose, which upgraded to a Category 3 storm Thursday, is slated to hit the Leeward Islands Saturday. It's the first time since 2008 that the Atlantic Ocean has developed 3 major hurricanes before Sept. 7, according to Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Philip Klotzbach.\n\n**900,000.** Half the island of Puerto Rico -- 900,000 people -- lost electricity Wednesday night and [50,000 were without access to water](https:\/\/www.apnews.com\/77a9a82f58d04bdbb122832b297b199d\/Hurricane-Irma-toll-hits-10,-increasing-threat-for-Florida), even though the eye of Hurricane Irma passed north of the U.S. territory.\n\nOn the British Virgin Islands, where Irma also struck Wednesday afternoon, Sam Branson -- son of billionaire Richard -- documented rooftops ripped off buildings and several destroyed buildings. The U.S. Virgin Islands [reported widespread damage](http:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/thetwo-way\/2017\/09\/07\/549136781\/devastation-of-epic-proportions-in-caribbean-wake-of-hurricane-irma) too.\n\n\n**34\\.** The next 24 hours should dictate where and if Irma makes landfall, and this final determination may rely on a forecast model created by 34 European nations. As Eric Berger [reported for Ars Technica](https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2017\/09\/heres-what-the-worlds-most-accurate-weather-model-predicts-for-irma\/), the European model -- or European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts -- is riding a hot streak of consistency right now:\n\n> Often, the model produced by this intergovernmental organization of 34 nations generates the best forecasts for hurricane tracks. In some cases, during Hurricane Harvey, it even [exceeded](https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2017\/09\/at-times-during-harvey-the-european-model-outperformed-humans\/) the skill of human forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.\n> \n> For this reason, the European model now has an outsized influence on the forecasts for hurricanes around the world, including those in the Atlantic, and in particular Hurricane Irma, which presently threatens the Caribbean Islands as well as the southeastern United States.\n\nThe European model excels because it takes longer -- once every 12 hours -- [to pump out a more detailed supercomputer simulation](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/storyline\/hurricane-irma\/predicting-irma-s-path-giving-supercomputers-challenge-n798961), relative to predictive models created in the U.S. The National Hurricane Center relies on both to build the cones for its hurricane warning maps, but the European model had Irma tracking toward Miami as early as Wednesday afternoon, while other models pushed the storm further east and out to sea. [The latest forecast from the European model continues to project landfall](https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2017\/09\/destination-florida-how-confident-we-can-be-in-hurricane-irmas-track\/) in the Florida Keys, near Marathon, Berger reported.\n\nOn Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the southern tip of Florida. They predict the storm will create a 20-foot storm surge for the Bahamas before reaching the U.S. with 145-miles-per-hour winds.\n\nThat's troubling because...\n\n**25** is the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the [Naples Daily News](http:\/\/www.naplesnews.com\/story\/news\/2017\/09\/06\/hurricane-irma-track-could-impact-vulnerable-florida-bridges-surge-wind\/636694001\/). When Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, much of the [\\$25 billion in structural damage](http:\/\/www.nhc.noaa.gov\/1992andrew.html) was caused by the storm's [160-mile-per-hour winds](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/09\/06\/us\/hurricane-andrew-miami.html?mcubz=0), though nine- to 16-foot storm surges [tossed boats ashore like softballs](https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/media\/publications\/assessments\/andrew.pdf). Miami-Dade evacuation orders [were expanded on Thursday](http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/weather\/hurricane\/article171780902.html).\n\nIf Irma hits south Florida as a Category 4 during high tide, the region could experience inland flooding across [Florida's southernmost 100 miles](http:\/\/www.floridadisaster.org\/publicmapping\/). Meanwhile, [less than half of the homes in Florida's coastal counties](https:\/\/www.apnews.com\/4eca3297f1884414b95d66659668b2f1\/AP-Exclusive:-Most-Florida-flood-zone-property-not-insured?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top-stories) have flood insurance.\n\n![Thursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami](https:\/\/d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net\/newshour\/app\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Miami-flood-warnings_11am.png)\n\nThursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami\n\n**14** Superfund toxic waste sites are located in Miami-Dade county.\n\n**7 trillion.** MIT meteorologist Kerry Emanuel told the Associated Press the [amount of energy in Hurricane Irma is approximately 7 trillion watts](http:\/\/www.oregonlive.com\/today\/index.ssf\/2017\/09\/rains_from_monster_hurricane_i.html) or more than all of the bombs dropped during World War II. This dynamo led the storm to maintain [winds of 185 miles per hour for 37 hours](https:\/\/twitter.com\/philklotzbach\/status\/905814289977548800), a record for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma has been a major hurricane for nearly four days, trailing only 1995 Hurricane Luis in longevity.\n\nA free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.\n\nSupport trusted journalism and civil dialogue.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Hurricane Irma's staggering power in numbers \| PBS News
Meta Description	As Hurricane Irma churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind.
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Boilerpipe Text	Hurricane Irma has hammered the Caribbean this week, devastating the islands with flooding and wreckage. As it churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind. 55. The number of hours Irma has spent as a Category 5 hurricane, as of 3 pm E.T., making it the fourth longest on record . Irma will likely pass number three on the list -- 2004's Hurricane Ivan (60 hours) -- by this evening. The storm started to pour over Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and other Leeward Islands late Tuesday. At least 10 people died across the Caribbean, including a two-year-old child on Barbuda , where officials said 90 percent of structures had been destroyed. 185 miles per hour. The maximum sustained winds that directly pummeled these islands. Destruction also occurred through storm surge. Barbuda recorded eight-foot storm surges, and people on Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy reported massive flooding. Four people died on Saint-Martin and 60 percent of its homes are now uninhabitable . Anguilla also reported one fatality and said 90 percent of roads are out of commission. Hurricane Irma damage on Saint Maarten seen from Dutch naval helicopter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B/ Hurricane Jose, which upgraded to a Category 3 storm Thursday, is slated to hit the Leeward Islands Saturday. It's the first time since 2008 that the Atlantic Ocean has developed 3 major hurricanes before Sept. 7, according to Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Philip Klotzbach. 900,000. Half the island of Puerto Rico -- 900,000 people -- lost electricity Wednesday night and 50,000 were without access to water , even though the eye of Hurricane Irma passed north of the U.S. territory. On the British Virgin Islands, where Irma also struck Wednesday afternoon, Sam Branson -- son of billionaire Richard -- documented rooftops ripped off buildings and several destroyed buildings. The U.S. Virgin Islands reported widespread damage too. 34. The next 24 hours should dictate where and if Irma makes landfall, and this final determination may rely on a forecast model created by 34 European nations. As Eric Berger reported for Ars Technica , the European model -- or European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts -- is riding a hot streak of consistency right now: Often, the model produced by this intergovernmental organization of 34 nations generates the best forecasts for hurricane tracks. In some cases, during Hurricane Harvey, it even exceeded the skill of human forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. For this reason, the European model now has an outsized influence on the forecasts for hurricanes around the world, including those in the Atlantic, and in particular Hurricane Irma, which presently threatens the Caribbean Islands as well as the southeastern United States. The European model excels because it takes longer -- once every 12 hours -- to pump out a more detailed supercomputer simulation , relative to predictive models created in the U.S. The National Hurricane Center relies on both to build the cones for its hurricane warning maps, but the European model had Irma tracking toward Miami as early as Wednesday afternoon, while other models pushed the storm further east and out to sea. The latest forecast from the European model continues to project landfall in the Florida Keys, near Marathon, Berger reported. On Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the southern tip of Florida. They predict the storm will create a 20-foot storm surge for the Bahamas before reaching the U.S. with 145-miles-per-hour winds. That's troubling because... 25 is the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the Naples Daily News . When Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, much of the $25 billion in structural damage was caused by the storm's 160-mile-per-hour winds , though nine- to 16-foot storm surges tossed boats ashore like softballs . Miami-Dade evacuation orders were expanded on Thursday . If Irma hits south Florida as a Category 4 during high tide, the region could experience inland flooding across Florida's southernmost 100 miles . Meanwhile, less than half of the homes in Florida's coastal counties have flood insurance. Thursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami 14 Superfund toxic waste sites are located in Miami-Dade county. 7 trillion. MIT meteorologist Kerry Emanuel told the Associated Press the amount of energy in Hurricane Irma is approximately 7 trillion watts or more than all of the bombs dropped during World War II. This dynamo led the storm to maintain winds of 185 miles per hour for 37 hours , a record for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma has been a major hurricane for nearly four days, trailing only 1995 Hurricane Luis in longevity. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue.
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[Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2Fnewshour%2Fscience%2Fstaggering-power-hurricane-irma-numbers) [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2Fnewshour%2Fscience%2Fstaggering-power-hurricane-irma-numbers&text=Hurricane%20Irma%27s%20staggering%20power%20in%20numbers) # Hurricane Irma's staggering power in numbers [Science](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science) Sep 7, 2017 4:08 PM EDT Hurricane Irma has hammered the Caribbean this week, devastating the islands with flooding and wreckage. As it churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind. 25 is the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the Naples Daily News. 55\. The number of hours Irma has spent as a Category 5 hurricane, as of 3 pm E.T., [making it the fourth longest on record](https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/905782802200764416). Irma will likely pass number three on the list -- 2004's Hurricane Ivan (60 hours) -- by this evening. The storm started to pour over Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and other Leeward Islands late Tuesday. At least 10 people died across the Caribbean, including [a two-year-old child on Barbuda](https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-irma-caribbean-impacts-puerto-rico), where officials said 90 percent of structures had been destroyed. 185 miles per hour. The maximum sustained winds that directly pummeled these islands. Destruction also occurred through storm surge. [Barbuda](http://surge.srcc.lsu.edu/irma_2017.html) recorded eight-foot storm surges, and people on Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy reported massive flooding. Four people died on Saint-Martin and [60 percent of its homes are now uninhabitable](https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/deadly-devastation-irma-rips-through-caribbean). Anguilla also reported one fatality and said 90 percent of roads are out of commission. Hurricane Irma damage on Saint Maarten seen from Dutch naval helicopter.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B/](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B/) Hurricane Jose, which upgraded to a Category 3 storm Thursday, is slated to hit the Leeward Islands Saturday. It's the first time since 2008 that the Atlantic Ocean has developed 3 major hurricanes before Sept. 7, according to Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Philip Klotzbach. 900,000. Half the island of Puerto Rico -- 900,000 people -- lost electricity Wednesday night and [50,000 were without access to water](https://www.apnews.com/77a9a82f58d04bdbb122832b297b199d/Hurricane-Irma-toll-hits-10,-increasing-threat-for-Florida), even though the eye of Hurricane Irma passed north of the U.S. territory. On the British Virgin Islands, where Irma also struck Wednesday afternoon, Sam Branson -- son of billionaire Richard -- documented rooftops ripped off buildings and several destroyed buildings. The U.S. Virgin Islands [reported widespread damage](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/07/549136781/devastation-of-epic-proportions-in-caribbean-wake-of-hurricane-irma) too. > [Warning: This video is quite traumatic. Tortola today after \#hurricaneirma. Most buildings completely destroyed. Many left homeless. Beyond tragic. My deepest wishes go to all those affected. Still no news from Virgin Gorda. \#bvi \#hurricaneirma \#destruction \#devastation \#tragic \#climatechange \#hope](https://www.instagram.com/p/BYu71CmA2JQ/) > > A post shared by Sam Branson (@bransonsam) on Sep 7, 2017 at 1:37am PDT 34\. The next 24 hours should dictate where and if Irma makes landfall, and this final determination may rely on a forecast model created by 34 European nations. As Eric Berger [reported for Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/heres-what-the-worlds-most-accurate-weather-model-predicts-for-irma/), the European model -- or European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts -- is riding a hot streak of consistency right now: > Often, the model produced by this intergovernmental organization of 34 nations generates the best forecasts for hurricane tracks. In some cases, during Hurricane Harvey, it even [exceeded](https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/at-times-during-harvey-the-european-model-outperformed-humans/) the skill of human forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. > > For this reason, the European model now has an outsized influence on the forecasts for hurricanes around the world, including those in the Atlantic, and in particular Hurricane Irma, which presently threatens the Caribbean Islands as well as the southeastern United States. The European model excels because it takes longer -- once every 12 hours -- [to pump out a more detailed supercomputer simulation](https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/predicting-irma-s-path-giving-supercomputers-challenge-n798961), relative to predictive models created in the U.S. The National Hurricane Center relies on both to build the cones for its hurricane warning maps, but the European model had Irma tracking toward Miami as early as Wednesday afternoon, while other models pushed the storm further east and out to sea. [The latest forecast from the European model continues to project landfall](https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/destination-florida-how-confident-we-can-be-in-hurricane-irmas-track/) in the Florida Keys, near Marathon, Berger reported. On Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the southern tip of Florida. They predict the storm will create a 20-foot storm surge for the Bahamas before reaching the U.S. with 145-miles-per-hour winds. That's troubling because... 25 is the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the [Naples Daily News](http://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/2017/09/06/hurricane-irma-track-could-impact-vulnerable-florida-bridges-surge-wind/636694001/). When Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, much of the [\$25 billion in structural damage](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html) was caused by the storm's [160-mile-per-hour winds](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/us/hurricane-andrew-miami.html?mcubz=0), though nine- to 16-foot storm surges [tossed boats ashore like softballs](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/andrew.pdf). Miami-Dade evacuation orders [were expanded on Thursday](http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article171780902.html). If Irma hits south Florida as a Category 4 during high tide, the region could experience inland flooding across [Florida's southernmost 100 miles](http://www.floridadisaster.org/publicmapping/). Meanwhile, [less than half of the homes in Florida's coastal counties](https://www.apnews.com/4eca3297f1884414b95d66659668b2f1/AP-Exclusive:-Most-Florida-flood-zone-property-not-insured?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top-stories) have flood insurance. ![Thursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami](https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/newshour/app/uploads/2017/09/Miami-flood-warnings_11am.png) Thursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami 14 Superfund toxic waste sites are located in Miami-Dade county. 7 trillion. MIT meteorologist Kerry Emanuel told the Associated Press the [amount of energy in Hurricane Irma is approximately 7 trillion watts](http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2017/09/rains_from_monster_hurricane_i.html) or more than all of the bombs dropped during World War II. This dynamo led the storm to maintain [winds of 185 miles per hour for 37 hours](https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/905814289977548800), a record for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma has been a major hurricane for nearly four days, trailing only 1995 Hurricane Luis in longevity. ## Grow your mind Subscribe to our Science Newsletter to explore the wide worlds of science, health and technology. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. [Donate now](https://give.newshour.org/page/88646/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=pbs_news_sept_2025_article&supporter.appealCode=N2509AW1000100) Left: Waves crash against the shore as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. Photo by Ivan Alvarado/REUTERS ## Go Deeper - [caribbean](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/caribbean) - [florida](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/florida) - [hurricane irma](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/hurricane-irma) - [miami](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/miami) - [storm surge](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/storm-surge) [![Nsikan Akpan](https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2015/12/Nsikan-Akpan_headshot-150x150.jpg)](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/nsikan-akpan) By — [Nsikan Akpan](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/nsikan-akpan) [Nsikan Akpan](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/nsikan-akpan) Nsikan Akpan is the digital science producer for PBS NewsHour and co-creator of the award-winning, NewsHour digital series [ScienceScope](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/sciencescope). *** [@MoNscience](https://twitter.com/MoNscience) Support Provided By: [Learn more](https://help.pbs.org/support/solutions/articles/5000677869) [![Evergreen\_WebAd\_Sidebar\_DonateNow](https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2026/01/Evergreen_WebAd_Sidebar_DonateNow.png)](https://give.newshour.org/page/80037/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=pbs_news_evergreen_main_donate&supporter.appealCode=N2600AW0200000) ### Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. 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Readable Markdown	Hurricane Irma has hammered the Caribbean this week, devastating the islands with flooding and wreckage. As it churns north of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, before setting its course toward the U.S., here are some numbers you should keep in mind. 55\. The number of hours Irma has spent as a Category 5 hurricane, as of 3 pm E.T., [making it the fourth longest on record](https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/905782802200764416). Irma will likely pass number three on the list -- 2004's Hurricane Ivan (60 hours) -- by this evening. The storm started to pour over Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and other Leeward Islands late Tuesday. At least 10 people died across the Caribbean, including [a two-year-old child on Barbuda](https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-irma-caribbean-impacts-puerto-rico), where officials said 90 percent of structures had been destroyed. 185 miles per hour. The maximum sustained winds that directly pummeled these islands. Destruction also occurred through storm surge. [Barbuda](http://surge.srcc.lsu.edu/irma_2017.html) recorded eight-foot storm surges, and people on Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy reported massive flooding. Four people died on Saint-Martin and [60 percent of its homes are now uninhabitable](https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/deadly-devastation-irma-rips-through-caribbean). Anguilla also reported one fatality and said 90 percent of roads are out of commission. Hurricane Irma damage on Saint Maarten seen from Dutch naval helicopter.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B/](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkSNWkgkH4Q%5B/) Hurricane Jose, which upgraded to a Category 3 storm Thursday, is slated to hit the Leeward Islands Saturday. It's the first time since 2008 that the Atlantic Ocean has developed 3 major hurricanes before Sept. 7, according to Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Philip Klotzbach. 900,000. Half the island of Puerto Rico -- 900,000 people -- lost electricity Wednesday night and [50,000 were without access to water](https://www.apnews.com/77a9a82f58d04bdbb122832b297b199d/Hurricane-Irma-toll-hits-10,-increasing-threat-for-Florida), even though the eye of Hurricane Irma passed north of the U.S. territory. On the British Virgin Islands, where Irma also struck Wednesday afternoon, Sam Branson -- son of billionaire Richard -- documented rooftops ripped off buildings and several destroyed buildings. The U.S. Virgin Islands [reported widespread damage](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/07/549136781/devastation-of-epic-proportions-in-caribbean-wake-of-hurricane-irma) too. 34\. The next 24 hours should dictate where and if Irma makes landfall, and this final determination may rely on a forecast model created by 34 European nations. As Eric Berger [reported for Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/heres-what-the-worlds-most-accurate-weather-model-predicts-for-irma/), the European model -- or European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts -- is riding a hot streak of consistency right now: > Often, the model produced by this intergovernmental organization of 34 nations generates the best forecasts for hurricane tracks. In some cases, during Hurricane Harvey, it even [exceeded](https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/at-times-during-harvey-the-european-model-outperformed-humans/) the skill of human forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. > > For this reason, the European model now has an outsized influence on the forecasts for hurricanes around the world, including those in the Atlantic, and in particular Hurricane Irma, which presently threatens the Caribbean Islands as well as the southeastern United States. The European model excels because it takes longer -- once every 12 hours -- [to pump out a more detailed supercomputer simulation](https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/predicting-irma-s-path-giving-supercomputers-challenge-n798961), relative to predictive models created in the U.S. The National Hurricane Center relies on both to build the cones for its hurricane warning maps, but the European model had Irma tracking toward Miami as early as Wednesday afternoon, while other models pushed the storm further east and out to sea. [The latest forecast from the European model continues to project landfall](https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/destination-florida-how-confident-we-can-be-in-hurricane-irmas-track/) in the Florida Keys, near Marathon, Berger reported. On Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the southern tip of Florida. They predict the storm will create a 20-foot storm surge for the Bahamas before reaching the U.S. with 145-miles-per-hour winds. That's troubling because... 25 is the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient in Miami-Dade county, according to the [Naples Daily News](http://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/2017/09/06/hurricane-irma-track-could-impact-vulnerable-florida-bridges-surge-wind/636694001/). When Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, much of the [\$25 billion in structural damage](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html) was caused by the storm's [160-mile-per-hour winds](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/us/hurricane-andrew-miami.html?mcubz=0), though nine- to 16-foot storm surges [tossed boats ashore like softballs](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/andrew.pdf). Miami-Dade evacuation orders [were expanded on Thursday](http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article171780902.html). If Irma hits south Florida as a Category 4 during high tide, the region could experience inland flooding across [Florida's southernmost 100 miles](http://www.floridadisaster.org/publicmapping/). Meanwhile, [less than half of the homes in Florida's coastal counties](https://www.apnews.com/4eca3297f1884414b95d66659668b2f1/AP-Exclusive:-Most-Florida-flood-zone-property-not-insured?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top-stories) have flood insurance. ![Thursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami](https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/newshour/app/uploads/2017/09/Miami-flood-warnings_11am.png) Thursday's wind, storm surge, flooding rain and tornado threat warnings for Miami-Dade county as of 11 am E.T. Graphic by National Weather Service Forecast Office, Miami 14 Superfund toxic waste sites are located in Miami-Dade county. 7 trillion. MIT meteorologist Kerry Emanuel told the Associated Press the [amount of energy in Hurricane Irma is approximately 7 trillion watts](http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2017/09/rains_from_monster_hurricane_i.html) or more than all of the bombs dropped during World War II. This dynamo led the storm to maintain [winds of 185 miles per hour for 37 hours](https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/905814289977548800), a record for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma has been a major hurricane for nearly four days, trailing only 1995 Hurricane Luis in longevity. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue.
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