Hurricane Hermine tore a path of destruction across Florida today, knocking out power for 253,000 customers, flooding low-lying areas and raising concerns about the spread of the Zika virus from pools of standing water left behind.
The first hurricane to make landfall in Florida in more than a decade, Hermine came ashore early today packing winds of 130 kph and churning up a devastating storm surge in coastal areas.
Hermine has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
Though sustained winds had weakened to 80 kph, the storm headed toward the Atlantic seaboard on a path where tens of millions of Americans live, causing storm watches and warnings stretching to Rhode Island, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.
New Jersey, still mindful of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, was on high alert as emergency officials advised people to prepare for flooding, high winds and a surge of seawater.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo activated his state's emergency operations centre today and advised emergency officials to stockpile resources, including sandbags and generators.
Road destroyed on #alligatorpoint #hurricanehermine pic.twitter.com/guoRGImhb1
— Faith Robinson (@CNNFaith) September 2, 2016
In Florida, concerns over the standing water in which mosquitoes breed intensified as the state battles an outbreak of the Zika virus.
"It is incredibly important that everyone does their part to combat the Zika virus by dumping standing water, no matter how small," Florida Governor Rick Scott said.
There have been 47 cases of Zika in people believed to have contracted the virus through local mosquitoes, according to the Florida Department of Health. Active transmission is thought to be occurring in two small areas around Miami.
As the sun rose this morning on Hudson Beach, just north of Tampa, cars sat askew in flooded roads. Palm fronds, tree branches and rubbish bins were scattered about.
Overnight, Pasco County crews rescued more than a dozen people after their homes were flooded.
In Cedar Key, an island community in northwest Florida, waters rose more than 2.9 metres, among the highest surges ever seen, the National Weather Service said.
