ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Hurricane Irma is a now a killer storm, and it'll be a matter of hours before the first clear pictures of the destruction come out of the Caribbean.
Irma maintained its Category 5 strength at 185 mph even after it passed over Barbuda around 1:47 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6. The Associated Press reports residents say phone lines went down as the eye passed.
The National Office of Disaster Services for Antigua and Barbuda say one person has died from the storm.
Spokeswoman Midcie Francis says there has been massive destruction on the island. The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne said Wednesday that damage to Barbuda may reach a total of $150 million, the Reuters news agency reports.
The storm still is at 185 mph as of the National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, advisory. It is moving west-northwest at 16 mph and was located 85 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
It is the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded.
Live updates here: WEDNESDAY IRMA: What you need to know
Track the tropics: Download the 10News app
Where does the storm go from here? The Wednesday advisory shows the official track as more pronounced in the storm taking its northward turn into the weekend.
This is a reflection of some of the computer models wanting to take the storm along Florida's east coast or out to sea.
But it is not a sign to stand down nor stop preparing. Florida remains in the track -- a south Florida landfall is possible this weekend -- the forecast will change further and there still is the possibility of significant impacts anywhere across the region.
Information from CBS News was used in this report.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
