News update from Florida Today

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Hurricane Irma delivered a massive wallop on the Florida Keys and the state's southwest coastline on Sunday, causing untold damage and leaving millions of Floridians without power. This newsletter will be sent out daily to provide up-to-date information about the storm into your mailbox. You are receiving it because you're a subscriber to the Top 5 news list from your local news provider, or because you signed up. If you have friends, family or neighbors who would benefit from this information, please share the sign-up page with them. Additionally, USA TODAY NETWORK newspapers in Florida: The (Fort Myers) News-Press, Naples Daily News, Florida Today,Treasure Coast Newspapers, Tallahassee Democrat andPensacola News Journal have suspended their paywalls to provide important public-safety information. Irma first made landfall as a Category 4 in the Sunshine State at Cudjoe Key, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph early Sunday morning. The storm made a second landfall near Naples as a Category 3 with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. As expected, the Atlantic Coast avoided a direct hit after the storm took a westward shift as it approached Florida. The size of the storm was still able to douse east coast of the Peninsula from afar, filling Miami's streets with water and knocking out power to millions. Neighbors in Tampa, St. Petersburg and in the Florida Panhandle watched the destruction unfold as they too prepped for Irma's wrath. The northern part of the Gulf Coast will get its taste of Irma over the next 19 hours. At 5 p.m., Irma had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. In the early evening Sunday it was a few miles north of Naples. It will continue a northern trek up Florida's Gulf coast and should pass near Tampa tonight or Mondaymorning. The National Hurricane Center said the storm will speed up and should be in North Florida, near the Georgia border, by about 2 p.m. Monday. The Keys Officials worry what will become of the low-lying Florida Keys. Walls of rain were seen on Duval Street and inches of water flowed down iconic Key West streets. The editor of the local newspaper said, "Everything is under water, I mean everything." Powerless More than five million Floridians were without power as of Sundayafternoon, even before the storm reached the Tampa area, which has about 3 million people. About 17,000 utility workers from 30 states stand ready to help restore power. Florida Power and Light had already restored power to 400,000 customers. Trump: 'This is some big monster' President Trump applauded the work of state and federal officials, saying "The bad news is that this is some big monster, but I think we're very well coordinated," he said from the White House. Acting deputy FEMA administrator Kathleen Fox said 13,000 people from an array of federal agencies are positioned in or near the state. Storm surge Meteorologists say storm surges — water rising onto land — could be between 10 and 15 feet in Naples and from 5 to 8 feet near Tampa and St. Petersburg. Storm surge is often a hurricane's mostdestructive threat. North Florida Officials in Leon County, home to the state capital Tallahassee, are taking Irma seriously, imposing curfews beginning this evening. Irma should be a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane when it reaches the area. Irma's forceful winds produced an interesting phenomenon around the state, pulling water away from shore. Animal control officials in south Florida may bring felony charges against the owners of dozens of dogs abandoned as Irma approached. On the bright side, a woman was able to deliver her own baby during Irma and this open 7-Eleven served as beacon of hope. Sources: The (Fort Myers) News-Press, Naples Daily News, Florida Today, Treasure Coast Newspapers, Tallahassee Democrat, Pensacola News Journal and USA TODAY.