The mayor of Miami Beach likened Irma’s explosive force to “a nuclear hurricane” as the storm made landfall in the Florida Keys with winds as strong as 140 mph.
“I’ve called [Irma] a nuclear hurricane because of its power, it’s strength, and all the horrible destruction and havoc it has caused throughout the entire Caribbean on its way towards Florida,” Mayor Philip Levine told John Catsimatidis on the “Cats Roundtable” radio show on 970 AM in an interview on Sunday.
Irma has been blamed for at least 25 deaths as it made its way north and west along a path of destruction in the Caribbean islands over the past week.
Levine said residents of Miami Beach heeded warnings to evacuate or take shelter from the storm.
“We were able to empty out [Miami Beach] dramatically way ahead of the mandatory evacuation ,” he said. “I have gone out to groups of homeless people and made sure that they went to shelters. I have gone to senior centers.
We have talked to special needs people.”