Irma, Jose, and Katia Triple Hurricane Threats

Hurricane Irma…

Harvey officially debuted hurricane season.  Now, get ready for Irma, Jose, and Katia.

Current Events
Yes, you read correctly.  Only 10 days after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, Texas and its surrounding areas, not 1, not 2, but 3 new hurricanes are currently wreaking havoc throughout the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, with each expected to hit the US mainland by the weekend.

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It’s being called one of the worst Atlantic storms in history. Sounding similar to a high-speed freight train and boasting winds upward of 185 MPH, Hurricane Irma absolutely pummeled the island of Barbuda late Wednesday, destroying 95% of homes and rendering the island “barely habitable” and “literally rubble,” according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua.  Irma was rated a Category 5 storm, which is almost unprecedented.  In comparison, Hurricane Harvey was a Category 3 storm, which should offer a sense of the power and strength of 2017’s latest storm.  In fact, Irma was so strong, seismologists said it registered on standard earthquake equipment.
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A St. Thomas, USVI, resident supplied #FEMARegion2 with this photo of #Irma’s winds & rain lashing the Pearson Garden Housing Community. pic.twitter.com/DyTuJc2jah

— FEMA Region 2 (@femaregion2) September 7, 2017

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On Wednesday, Hurricane Irma roared across the Island of Puerto Rico and headed toward the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the Bahamas, and points north.  As of this writing, 5 deaths were reported in the British territory of Anguilla and the islands of Antigua, Barbuda, and Puerto Rico. However, Irma was not traveling alone and brought along tropical storm companions Jose and Katia — each of which were upgraded to full-fledged hurricanes.

Current Events
Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency for Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Gov. Rick Scott of Florida has issued mandatory evacuations for parts of his state prior to Irma’s expected Sunday landfall. Bottled water and gas supplies are almost non-existent in the sunshine state, with retailers calling for emergency supplies from as far away as Nevada. The fear is that Irma could strike Florida and the southeastern United States, then Jose could land a 2nd punch soon thereafter. Katia is already causing concern along the Gulf coast, where residents are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Harvey less than 2 weeks ago.

In a strange twist of fate, the triple hurricanes caused an unexpected moment of bipartisanship between Donald Trump and Democratic leaders Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer. On Wednesday, the strange bedfellows blatantly defied Republican leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell by reaching an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and fund the government through December 15th. The measure also included a multi-billion dollar aid package to assist those states affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Now, if only Democrats and the triple hurricanes could convince Trump that climate change is real and not some colossal hoax.

OK WASSUP! covers current events:
Hurricanes Irma, Jose, and Katia unleashed.